Hungarians in South Africa

The Hungarian diaspora in South Africa (Hungarian: _Dél-afrikai magyar diaszpóra_ or _Dél-afrikai magyarok_; Afrikaans: _Hongaarse diaspora in Suid-Afrika_) forms a small but significant community of Hungarian descent in the country. In 2016, their population was estimated at around 4,000 people. Most South African Hungarians maintain ties to their cultural heritage, primarily through community organizations like the Hungarian Alliance of South Africa, and many are descendants of immigrants who arrived after the 1956 Hungarian Revolution.

## History

The first Hungarians came to South Africa in the 1800s. Many were attracted by the diamond and gold rushes in a country partly controlled by the British and partly by the Boers. The most well-known Hungarian adventurer was Lajos Hugó Nellmapius, born in Budapest, who moved there in 1870. Using his mining engineering knowledge and new blasting methods, he became rich and found the Voortrekker Nugget, a 3.44 kg gold piece seen as South Africa’s biggest for a long time. Nellmapius was close to Transvaal President Paul Kruger, so he started a settlement called _Irene_, named after his daughter, 20 km from Pretoria. Another Hungarian settlement is Tokai, near Cape Town, where Hungarian soldiers from the Waldeck Regiment settled in the late 1700s and started a vineyard. They brought grapevines from Tokaj, Hungary, and named the place after that Hungarian town.

After the Treaty of Trianon, many Hungarians left Hungary, causing the Hungarian community in South Africa to grow. This led to the community organizing, and in 1932, the Hungarian Alliance of South Africa (_Dél-Afrikai Magyar Szövetség_) was created to support Hungarian interests. The group was banned during World War II because Hungary and South Africa were on opposite sides of the war. After the war ended, the association started working again and is still the most important group for Hungarians in South Africa today.

The main part of today’s Hungarian community in South Africa is made up of descendants of people who left Hungary during the 1956 Revolution. When the revolution started, white South Africans, especially Afrikaners, strongly supported the Hungarians. They held big support rallies in Pretoria and Stellenbosch, a university town, and collected donations to help the revolutionaries. After the revolution was stopped and 200,000 Hungarians escaped abroad, South Africa’s leaders all agreed to accept the emigrants. Western countries shared the refugees based on voluntary plans, and South Africa took in 1,300 Hungarians. Some estimates say up to 3,000 came in the years after. Families with skilled workers were preferred for refugee approval. Most Hungarians, who had lived in the closed-off Eastern Bloc, knew little about South Africa. They were attracted by job offers, exotic places, and being far from what they thought was a risky Europe. The refugees were flown to South Africa in 15 groups. The Hungarian community already there helped the new arrivals settle, and they successfully fit into South Africa’s apartheid white society.

Fewer Hungarians came in the 1960s and 1970s, but some still arrived. The local Hungarian community worked together to build the Magyar Tanya (Hungarian Estate), which is still the main meeting spot for Hungarians today.

By the 2000s, fewer Hungarians moved to South Africa, and those who came were mostly workers for international companies who usually did not stay forever. András Németh, who has Hungarian roots in South Africa, is seen as one of the top young Hungarian football players.

## Culture

The main danger to the Hungarian community in South Africa is blending into other cultures. The 4,000 Hungarians, living across an area 12 times bigger than Hungary, include about 2,000 who speak Hungarian. Many are also leaving because of changes in politics, economy, and high crime and murder rates.

The Magyar Tanya (Hungarian Estate), near Johannesburg, is the most important place for the community, where people meet every month to keep Hungarian food and folk music traditions alive. The biggest event is the remembrance of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, and there is a small monument at the farm for the revolution’s events.

The Hungarian community in South Africa has its own newspaper, _Értesítő_, which shares news about the community.

A famous Hungarian link is the popular champagne brand Pongrácz, an important part of South Africa’s wine production. The founder, Dezső Pongrácz, came to South Africa as an emigrant and started making wine in the Stellenbosch wine area.

## More information

- Official website of the Hungarian Alliance of South Africa

## Infobox (ethnic group)

- **group**: Hungarians in South Africa
_Dél-Afrikai magyarok_
- **population**: ~4000 (2016)
- **languages**: English language, English Hungarian language, Hungarian
- **religions**: Christianity