Removal of Black South Africans to Homelands Compared to the Trail of Tears
Removal of black South Africans to homelands is similar in horrific scope to the North American Trail of Tears due to greed for Indigenous people’s land.
Sun City, located in the Soho Hotel and Casino, is one of the most popular resorts in South Africa. It became famous because of a 1985 protest song; it was located within the Bantustan of Bophuthatswana, one of ten homelands created by the South African government that forcibly relocated its black population as part of the apartheid policy of separate development.
As part of apartheid, black South Africans were not allowed to live in white-designated areas. The apartheid-era government dictated that ten fragmented homelands be spread across South Africa and Namibia, each assigned to different ethnic groups to justify racial segregation.
Sun City was a 1985 protest album and song recorded by Artists United Against Apartheid to oppose South Africa’s apartheid policy. The title song declared that participating artists would refuse to perform at the Sun City resort complex for whites, located in the black homeland of Bophuthatswana.
The Sun City album musically challenged the Bantu Authority Act of 1951, which established black homelands and regional authorities. Fifty-four artists — including Run DMC, Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, Pat Benatar, Hall and Oates, Santana, Afrika Bambaataa, and Bonnie Raitt — took part in this global protest effort.
The homelands system began in the mid-20th century and ended in the 1990s. Ten were created: Transkei, Bophuthatswana, Ciskei, Venda, Gazankulu, KaNgwane, KwaNdebele, KwaZulu, Lebowa, and QwaQwa.
The removal of black Africans to homelands mirrors the forced displacement of Indigenous peoples in the United States known as the Trail of Tears.
Orphan Child is a protest song from the Five Nations heritage, especially Choctaw and Cherokee traditions, reflecting this shared legacy of removal and survival.
Between 1831 and 1848, thousands of Indigenous people — including the Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole — were forcibly relocated from their southeastern homelands to what is now Oklahoma. The Trail of Tears spanned over 5,000 miles through nine states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
White settlers sought Indigenous lands to grow cotton, prompting federal policies of forced removal. Many died from exposure, hunger, and disease along the route. Indian reservations remain today as a legacy of those removals.
Did you know? The Sun City record featured a remarkable lineup of artists, including Bob Dylan, Jimmy Cliff, Gil Scott-Heron, Miles Davis, and South African performer Sonny Okosuns, among many others.
Today, Sun City is known for hosting the Nedbank Golf Challenge and the Miss South Africa pageant.
Frequently Asked Questions About Sun City and the Homelands
What was Sun City during apartheid?
Sun City was a luxury resort built for whites in the black homeland of Bophuthatswana. Its location symbolized apartheid’s racial divisions, as black South Africans were excluded from such spaces.
Why was the song “Sun City” important?
The protest song united global musicians against apartheid. Its message — refusing to perform at Sun City — helped raise awareness of South Africa’s racial policies worldwide.
How were black South Africans relocated to homelands?
Under the Bantu Authority Act and Group Areas Act, millions were forcibly moved from cities and farms to ethnically assigned homelands. These areas were often poor and lacked infrastructure.
How is the Trail of Tears similar to South Africa’s homeland removals?
Both involved forced displacement driven by land greed and racial hierarchy. Indigenous communities in North America and black South Africans suffered dispossession and cultural loss.
What are the long-term effects of these forced removals?
Generations continue to face poverty, land inequality, and historical trauma. Both cases highlight the enduring impact of land-based injustice on identity and opportunity.
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