History of South Africa podcast · Desmond Latham
-DELETED- Episode 260 - Touring South Africa pre-1880, How Woolworths started and Rowlands Folly
January 30, 2026·20 min·1 clip
Why did early South African towns have boulevards over 30 meters wide?
As heard by us
A brisk history of tracks, railways, standard time, Woolworth, and a vulnerable British column.
South Africa before 1880 comes through as a story of movement: oxwagons and horse-drawn vehicles tracing repeated tracks between farms, military posts, markets, and outspans.
Why you'd press play
Tour 1879 South Africa by oxwagon, cart, mule, bus, or foot, then detour through standard time, fixed-price retail, and Rowland's exposed column No. 5.
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