Libertarianism in South Africa

Left-libertarianism in South Africa dates to the 1880s and played a major role in the labour and socialist movements from the turn of the 20th century through to the 1920s.

There were slight traces of anarchist or syndicalist influence in some of the independent left-wing groups which resisted the apartheid government from the 1970s onward, but as a distinct movement they only began re-emerging in South Africa in the early 1990s.

Right-libertarianism in South Africa dates back to the mid-1970s when Leon Louw, Marc Swanepoel[1] and several others got together informally to discuss this new philosophy.

In 2013, Barry de Harde, Charl Heydenrych, Trevor Watkins and Enyinna Nkem-abonta got together to form the Libertarian Party of South Africa which was inaugurated at the 2013 Seminar in Prince Albert.

Over the years, the Libertarian Society has added websites, email groups and blogs and organised monthly dinners in Johannesburg and Cape Town and Durban.