Encyclopaedia Africana

Heroes and Heroines

  • 5 Min Read

Joseph Kapend Tshomb (1889-1950), an entrepreneur, rose from poverty and servanthood to become one of the most prosperous and widely traveled Congolese of his day....

  • 6 Min Read

‘King’ John Macaulay (circa 1800-December 5,1867) was a wealthy Freetown trader in the mid-19th century and powerful unofficial leader of the Aku re-captives (Yoruba from...

  • 4 Min Read

Mana Siaka (?-1872), warrior and slave-trader, was ruler of Vai, or Gallinas, a powerful state situated on the coast between Sierra Leone and Liberia. Much...

  • 5 Min Read

Makavoray of Tikonko (circa 1830-1897) was a powerful warrior-king who played a vital peacekeeping role among warring chiefs in southern Sierra Leone in the second...

  • 6 Min Read

Kanyimbu-Newej, also called Kanyimbu Mpembe a Nkind, (circa 1700-circa 1760) was a great military leader, who extended Lunda influence east to the Lake Mweru region,...

  • 5 Min Read

Moriba Kindo Bangura (17?-1825) was the forceful Temne leader who overthrew the Soso hegemony over Port Loko (an important trading center), which lasted from 1700...

  • 4 Min Read

James Barry Munnik Hertzog (April 3, 1866-November 21, 1942), a lawyer and Boer general, was prime minister of South Africa from 1924-39. A new phase...

  • 3 Min Read

Solomon Benjamin Augustus Macfoy (circa 1843-January 16, 1893) was a Sierra Leone Krio (Creole) who for several years dominated the Sherbro country of Sierra Leone....

  • 2 Min Read

Ruth Hayman (February 12, 1913-October 7, 1981), social reformer and lawyer, was distinguished for her energy and courage in acting for defendants in innumerable political...

  • 3 Min Read

Nicolaas Christiaan Havenga (May 1. 1882-March 13, 1957) was a politician and cabinet minister. He was a lifelong associate and friend of General J.B.M. Hertzog....

Editor’s Note

This website features a collection of articles largely from previously published volumes of the Encyclopaedia Africana, specifically the Encyclopaedia Africana Dictionary of African Biography, which highlights notable individuals from various regions of Africa. Please note that in these volumes, some names of people, towns, and countries were spelled differently than they are today. We have retained these historical spellings to preserve the integrity of the original publications. In some instances, the current spellings are also provided for easy reference.
Please report errors to: info@encyclopaediaafricana.com / research@encyclopaediaafricana.com

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