Da Gama was not interested in settling here as the main purpose of his journey was to discover the sea route leading to India. It was on Christmas eve that same year in 1497 that Da Gama and his men arrived and named the new land ‘Terra do Natal’. This new location would now be what we call Durban.

Da Gama merely used South Africa as a stop-off during his main journey to India.ĭuring his time spent in South Africa, a life threatening situation arose from a misunderstanding between the Portuguese explorers and the Khoikhoi, forcing the Portuguese to relocate to a new destination for the crew to rest and repair damages to their ships. To be more factually correct one would say that Da Gama and his sea crew arrived on the shores of South Africa as the land was technically home to the Khoikhoi tribes who were already natives inhabiting the area. So, Da Gama and his crew of brave hearts set out on an epic journey to cross the Atlantic ocean in the hopes of reaching India.Īfter four grueling months since the crew had seen land, the explorers reached the Cape of South Africa where they engaged with the Khoikhoi tribes.įrom this, it can be clarified that Vasco Da Gama only discovered South Africa on a ‘finders keepers’ basis. In 1497 a Portuguese seafarer Vasco Da Gama set sail on a journey to discover what was believed by many to be the impossible, a sea route leading from Portugal to India.Īt this stage, there was no evidence of any other seas being connected to the Indian Ocean.

However, there is more to the story than the Portuguese explorer landing up on the shores of Natal. If you know anything about how our city was ‘discovered’ and acquired its name, Vasco Da Gama may be the first person that pops into your head. Why not wow the crowd at your next social gathering or work event with this captivating story of Durban’s ‘discovery’. How well do you know the city you live in? As a matter of fact, how well do any of us know the heritage of Durban city?

What land did vasco da gama discover