Welcome to Old Africa

your window into East Africa’s past.

Old Africa books

Old Africa books are well-told stories in the same tradition as the shorter pieces

our readers have come to enjoy from the pages of Old Africa magazine.

After two decades in print, Old Africa is now fully digital and free for all! That’s right: zero shillings, endless stories. Yes, we’ll miss the smell and feel of fresh paper too — and to our loyal subscribers who’ve stacked us proudly on bookshelves, we thank you for your loyalty. The stories stay rich, the history stays deep — only the format has changed.

But while the magazine won’t cost you a cent, creating it still does. If you enjoy digging into Africa’s rich past with us, toss a coin (or a few) our way. Help us keep history alive — minus the printing bill. Consider donating to Old Africa to keep the stories coming.

 

Early Farming Disasters in Kenya

Early Farming Disasters in Kenya

Early Farming Disasters in Kenya When the first white settlers started farming in Kenya in the early twentieth century, their enterprise was far from successful. Potatoes were tried, but they died of blight. At his first farm at Njoro Lord Delamere decided to raise...

Kisettla, a dialect of Kiswahili?

Kisettla, a dialect of Kiswahili?

In 1932 a writer identified only as JW wrote a tongue-in-cheek article about the evolving language of Kisettla, spoken in Kenya by settlers as they attempted to communicate with their African neighbours and staff.  The article first appeared in the East African...

Rinderpest Brings Disaster in the 1890s

Rinderpest Brings Disaster in the 1890s

Rinderpest Brings Disaster in the 1890s In the 1890s many of the early European visitors to what became Kenya commented on the famine that had hit the country. What had happened? The famine was largely caused by the disease rinderpest, which had started to infect...