Portuguese Emigration to Africa

Portuguese have emigrated to Africa since the fifteenth century. Through intermarriage with local women a caste of black “Portuguese” emerged who played an important role as intermediaries in West African trade and who developed distinctive creole languages. Portuguese culture also influenced the ruling elite of Kongo and gave rise to the creole ethnic group which dominated Angola for centuries and which has assumed power in the post-colonial era. The scramble for Africa led to increased Portuguese emigration to Africa and after World War II this received active state encouragement, although most Portuguese settlers left the colonies after independence either to return to Portugal or to move on to South Africa. Large numbers have now returned to Africa to find work in the booming economies of Angola and Mozambique.

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