worn by South African Scouts attending World Jamborees Organized Scouting spread to South Africa only a few months after its birth in
Britain in 1907. In 1908, several troops formed in
Cape Town,
KwaZulu-Natal, and
Johannesburg and the following year saw the first official registration of South African troops. Scouting in South Africa grew rapidly, and in 1912
Robert Baden-Powell visited South African Scouts. Due to the rapid spread of Scouting it became necessary to provide some form of local co-ordination.
Provincial Councils were formed in South Africa between 1912 and 1916. These councils had no direct contact with each other and reported directly to Imperial Scout Headquarters in London. The first
Union Scout Council was formed in 1922 to provide a common national control on an advisory basis. Six years later, in 1928, the Union Scout Council adopted a constitution which enabled it to perform the functions of Imperial Scout Headquarters. Scouting in South Africa, as in most British Colonies (such as
Rhodesia), was originally
segregated by race. This did not prevent black Scout groups from forming, and in the 1920s, black Scouts were given the name
Klipspringers (a type of small
antelope). The
Pathfinder Council was formed in 1929. In 1930, the Imperial Scout Headquarters granted the complete independence of the Scout Movement in South Africa. Work started on yet another constitution which was finalised in 1936 at Bloemfontein during the visit of Baden-Powell. During 1937, the
Boy Scouts Association of South Africa became a member of the International Scout Conference (now
World Scout Conference) and was registered with the International Bureau (now
World Scout Bureau) on 1 December 1937. South Africa was the first of the
Commonwealth countries to achieve independence for its Scout Movement. The now independent association maintained the racial segregation with four separate associations. After consultation with Baden-Powell, four separate Scouting organisations were created in 1936. These were The Boy Scouts Association (for whites), The African Boy Scouts Association (for blacks), The Coloured Boy Scouts Association (for
coloureds) and The Indian Boy Scouts Association (for Indians). With the rise of
Afrikaner nationalism in South Africa during the early part of the 20th century, Scouting was viewed with suspicion by many Afrikaners because of its English roots, and rival Afrikaans organisations including the
Voortrekkers were established. These had a strong social and political aim. Negotiations about an amalgamation of both movements in the years 1930 to 1936 were not successful. Scouting was active during the period in several of the
homelands,
Transkei issuing Scout insignia and several including
Bophuthatswana (the homeland where
Mafikeng is located) issuing Scout-themed postage stamps. On 10 July 1995,
The Boy Scouts of South Africa adopted a new constitution and changed its name to the
South African Scout Association, and also began accepting girls into its ranks. By 1999 girls were allowed in all sections. In 2008 the name changed to
Scouts South Africa.
South African influences on World Scouting traditions South Africa has long been associated with the origins of Scouting. Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the movement, spent most of the years from 1884 to 1905 as a soldier in Southern Africa. South Africa's most prominent role in the origin of Scouting was the
siege of Mafeking in 1899–1900. wearing the necklace from which the original Wood Badge beads came The
Wood Badge, worn by adult Scout leaders, is a replica of beads from the necklace that was once worn by King
Dinizulu of the
Zulus. The original necklace was captured from Dinizulu by Baden-Powell. Other Zulu traditions and chants also featured in Scouting for Boys. While serving in Southern Africa, Baden-Powell learnt many the skills that would become standard scouting skills.
Jan Grootboom, a
Xhosa from South Africa, was a military scout who Baden-Powell praised for his scouting ability in the
Matabele Campaign. Baden-Powell also learnt scouting skills from
Frederick Russell Burnham, an American explorer, adventurer, and mercenary, who went on to become a highly decorated Major and Chief of Scouts under
Lord Roberts during the
Second Boer War. The earliest Scout uniform was based on the uniform that Robert Baden-Powell designed for the South African Constabulary, a paramilitary force established to police the conquered Boer republics following the Anglo-Boer War. The current South African Scout uniform is in fact still based on the uniform worn by the South African Constabulary. Baden-Powell said of South Africa in 1926 that: ==Influence in South Africa==