

The Cape State: The Republic of South Africa After Partition
Texte original en anglais
Hey y’all!
In this timeline, South Africa (and Namibia) are partitioned along ethnolinguistic lines during the period of African decolonization. The western half of the country becomes a white/mixed, Afrikaans-speaking state and the rest of the country is divided up amongst the various African groups. Virtually all whites, Indians, and Malays are expelled from the newly-created African states and most flee to what remains of South Africa. This creates the South Africa shown in this map, in the modern day.Though Afrikaans and English are technically co-official, a surge of Afrikaans linguistic pride swept the country as the new republic began to form. Many looked back to the British Empire supplanting Dutch rule in South Africa and discriminating against Dutch/Afrikaans speakers with disdain. As such, most English placenames in Afrikaans-speaking areas were changed back to their original Afrikaans names or had new ones coined. Kaapstad (Cape Town) is the last real stronghold of English speakers, though Afrikaans is officially promoted as the primary language of the city.Most of the Indians fleeing from Natal settled in the Kaapstad metro area, with some neighborhoods like Mitchells Plain becoming plurality Indian. Many schools in Indian-dominated areas include an Indian heritage language as part of their language credit.
For the etymologies behind the alternate names:
Etosha: this timeline's name for an independent Namibia, after Etosha National Park (I just think the name is neat).Sterberg: calque of Serra de Estrella, the Spanish name for the Outeniqua Mountains.
Wynland: from Kaapse Wynland District Municipality, Western Cape
Vooruitzigt: the original name for Kimberly, Northern Cape
Papkuilveld: “papkuil field”, a type of plant common in South Africa
Kervelstad: renamed after Adrian van Kervel, the first magistrate of George, Western CapeOlywehoutdrift: Afrikaanized version of Olijvenhoutdrift (“olive wood drift”), the original Dutch name of Upington, which is named Olyfburg for the same reason in this timeline.
Barnardstad: after Christiaan Barnard, who performed the first successful human heart transplant, formerly Beaufort-West
Prieschap: the Afrikaans/Dutch version of Prieska
Hoopstad: the Afrikaans/Dutch version of HopetownPrieschap: the Afrikaans/Dutch version of Prieska
Hoopstad: the Afrikaans/Dutch version of Hopetown
Amandelboom: “almond tree”, the original Dutch name for Williston