The history of Rotary in Africa, including zones 20a/n and 20b/bc/be* (RGHF sections)

The Co-Chair for History is RGHF senior historian Basil Lewis, UK, 16 July 2008

The zone 20a RGHF board member for History in Africa is PDG AMU SHAH

Zone 20b board member is PP Nevine Abdelkhalek, Giza Cosmopolitan, District: D2450, Zone: 20b

The history of Rotary in Africa dates back to 1921 when the Rotary Club of Johannesburg, South Africa, was founded. In 1929, the Rotary Club of Cairo, Egypt, brought Rotary to North Africa, while a year later, it entered East Africa with the admission of Rotary Club of Nairobi, Kenya. The Rotary Club of Dakar, Senegal, established in 1939 was the first club in West Africa. Today, there are well over 20,000 Rotarians in 800 clubs in 51 Africa countries.

THE GUARDIAN
CONSCIENCE, NURTURED BY TRUTH
LAGOS, NIGERIA.     Tuesday, May 20 2003

The first club in South Africa was in Johannesburg in 1921 when the prime mover was R.W. Rusterholz. This club was soon followed by others in Capetown, Durban, Pretoria, Port Elizabeth and elsewhere, so that by 1929 there were 12 clubs in South Africa forming part of District 55, Africa South of the Equator. Rusterholz became District Governor and was re-elected to serve for 4 years. He was succeeded by Kenneth Young of Capetown, and subsequently by Otto Siedle , a past President of the Durban Club. In 1929 a writer in Durban observed "No longer is a South African Rotarian looked upon as a singular type, for the movement is now definitely established as a South African institution. The country has its place on the Rotary map of the world; its Rotarians are cultivating the gentle art of fellowship as their opportunity for service; and to all the world of Rotary overseas the members of the clubs in District 55 say "Come to South Africa and when you are here fail not to call upon your fellow Rotarians in this part of the world.'"

In April 1934 Paul Harris sailed from Southampton on the 'Armadale Castle' to attend the District conference in South Africa in the place of RI President John Nelson, returning from there in May on the 'Winchester Castle'  RGHF senior historian Basil Lewis, UK, 16 July 2008

Much of the region is also captured in a 2005 article by PDG AMU SHAH, RGHF zone 20a board members

 

The United Nations lists five regions of Africa

  • Central  Middle Africa
    • Angola     
    • Burundi   (see also Eastern Africa)   
    • Cameroon      (New)
    • Central African Rep     
    • Chad    
    • Congo    
    • Dem. Rep. Congo (Zaire)     
    • Gabon    
    • Guinea    
    • Malawi (Formerly Nyasaland)
    • Rwanda  ( see also Eastern Africa)      
    • São Tomé and Principe
  • Northern Africa
  • Southern Africa
    • Botswana    (New)  
    • Lesotho     
    • Namibia    (formerly South West Africa)      
    • South Africa    
    • Swaziland
    • The Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania, though more commonly reckoned in Central and Eastern Africa respectively, are occasionally included in Southern Africa. 
    • Mozambique and Madagascar – also included in Eastern Africa   
    • Zambia  (Formerly Northern Rhodesia)   
    • Zimbabwe     (Formerly Southern Rhodesia) 
  • Western Africa
    • Benin      
    • Burkina Faso    
    • Cape Verde     
    • Equatorial Guinea (New)
    • Gambia (New)
    • Ghana    
    • Guinea Bissau    
    • Ivory Coast     
    • Liberia     
    • Mali    
    • Mauritania     
    • Niger (New)
    • Nigeria              
    • Senegal           
    • Sierra Leone            
    • Togo