Connections between South Africa and Antarctica can be traced as far back as the 1700s when European expeditions in search of the southern continent used Cape Town (and later Simonstown) as a base of operation. This link expanded considerably after formal British acquisition of the Cape of Good Hope in 1815, yet it was not until 1926 that an actual South African policy towards the Antarctic began to materialize. Once this policy was established it continued to be characterized by procrastination as well as resistance both from within and without South Africa. The history of South Africa's Antarctic policy can be divided into five periods: first, the commencement of the policy (focusing primarily on economic interests), 1926-1939; second, the pursuit of interests through the policy (focusing on political interests), 1944- 1958; third, the entrenchment of South Africa's interests in the Antarctic (by securing South Africa's position within the Antarctic Treaty System), 1958-1960; fourth, the expansion of and foreign assault on the policy (under the auspices of the Antarctic Treaty System), 1960-1988; and fifth, the defence of and future prospects for the policy (from United Nation's calls for South Africa's exclusion from the Antarctic Treaty System), since 1982. While resistance from inside and outside the government during the first two periods resulted from inadequacies in the South African Antarctic policy itself, resistance in the final two periods has centred upon non-Antarctic issues. As South Africa has faced ever-increasing exclusion from international governmental organizations over opposition to Its apartheid policies, organizations such as the Antarctic Treaty Organization have inevitably been drawn into the debate. As a result, the Consultative Parties of the Antarctic Treaty (of which South Africa is one of the original twelve) have been forced to deal with the following question: to what extent will political issues outside the scope of the management policies of the Antarctic Treaty Organization be allowed to affect the functioning of the Antarctic Treaty System? While the Consultative Parties continue to ponder this and the fact that South Africa's Consultative Status has become the most divisive factor within the Antarctic Treaty System, no final solutions to these issues appear likely before 1991.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study addresses a little-known but important part of South Africa’s history: its involvement with the sub-Antarctic and Antarctic in the twentieth century. It has a three-fold approach. Firstly, it provides insight into the motives driving South Africa’s investment in the region, from the first call for a South African Antarctic expedition in 1919 to the post-apartheid recommitment to the South African Antarctic Programme. Interrogating of the reasons behind South Africa’s activities in this region – including those that failed –throws into relief broader issues about how and where South Africa saw itself in the geopolitical order. As such, this dissertation is situated within a body of Antarctic scholarship that seeks to subvert the prevailing homogenising narrative of the continent as simply the preserve of scientists and heroes. In particular, it investigates how tropes of imperialism and nationalism functioned in these remote corners of the world. Secondly, this dissertation investigates how changing perceptions of the extreme environment of Antarctica, and specifically the Prince Edward Islands, can add to our understanding of environmental history. It also shows how the values projected onto and invested in the environment as ‘nature’ changed over time. Thirdly, it takes into account the humans that were South Africa’s presence in the region and how the underlying patterns in the fabric of South African society, including race and gender, crystalized on the Antarctic continent. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is gerig op ʼn minder bekende, maar belangrike aspek van Suid-Afrika se geskiedenis: die land se betrokkenheid by die sub-Antarktiese gebied en Antarktika in die twintigste eeu. Die studie volg van ʼn drie-ledige benadering. Eerstens, verskaf dit insig in die dryfvere agter Suid-Afrika se investering in die streek – vanaf die eerste beroep op ʼn Suid-Afrikaanse Antarktiese ekspedisie in 1919, tot die post-apartheid regering se herverbintenis tot die Suid-Afrikaanse Antarktiese program. Die ondersoek na die redes vir Suid-Afrika se aktiwiteite in die streek – insluitend dié wat misluk het – bring breër kwessies oor Suid-Afrika se selfbeskouing in die wêreld se geopolitieke orde, na vore. Hierdie studie word binne ʼn kritiese raamwerk van navorsing oor Antarktika geplaas. Dié raamwerk streef daarna om die oorheersende homogene beeld van die kontinent as die eksklusiewe grondgebied van wetenskaplikes en helde, onder die soeklig te stel. In die besonder stel dit ondersoek in na hoe imperialisme en nasionalisme in hierdie verafgeleë uithoeke van die aarde versinnebeeld is. Tweedens, ondersoek hierdie studie hoe veranderende persepsies van Antarktika - en veral die Prins Edward eilande - se uiterste omgewing tot ons begrip van omgewingsgeskiedenis kan bydra. Dit dui ook aan die mate waartoe bestaande waardes wat op die omgewing as ‘natuur’ geprojekteer en gevestig is, mettertyd verander het. Die derde benadering neem die mense wat Suid-Afrika se teenwoordigheid verpersoonlik het in aanmerking - en hoe die onderliggende patrone in die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing, insluitend ras en geslag, op die Antarktiese kontinent uitgekristalliseer het.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis deals with the nature and historical development of tourism and leisure activities that have been conducted within the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions from 1895 to present. First, it traces the brief history of human involvement with the Antarctic continent, which culminated in a surge of ostensibly scientific exploration with jingoistic overtones which has become widely known as the ‘Heroic Age’ of Antarctic exploration. These explorers’ adventures, taken up by the popular press and promoted by jingoistic governments, popularised a particular conception of the continent to the point where people imagined going to see it for themselves, vicariously reliving their heroes’ adventures in the form of tourism. The rise of formal governance on the Antarctic is then traced and used to explain how this provided for regular tourist activities to commence since the mid-1960s. The changing nature of tourism to the region is surveyed, as well as its impact on the environment. Finally, Marion Island, South Africa’s Sub-Antarctic Island, is discussed through the lens of tourism and leisure. Tourism has not been permitted on the island, so it offers a useful comparison with other sub-Antarctic islands that do allow tourists to visit. The thesis also deals with masculinity, as the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic were male dominated environments for the majority of human interaction with these regions. The thesis argues that the accumulation of knowledge in these areas by scientists has (perhaps counter-intuitively) led to the creation of the tourism industry, which would not have been able to flourish without the constant human presence secured by the scientific bases scattered around the Antarctic. Finally, this thesis offers a form of autoethnographic historical investigation, as an insider/outsider dichotomy (between “scientist” and “tourist”) was explored through embedded research, where scientists and support personnel are viewed as insiders on the one hand, and tourists are regarded as outsiders on the other. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis handel oor die aard en historiese ontwikkeling van toerisme en ontspannings aktiwiteite wat binne die Antarktiese en sub-Antarktiese gebiede onderneem is vanaf 1895 tot die hede. Dit behandel eerstens die kort geskiedenis van menslike betrokkenheid op die Antarktiese vasteland, wat uitgeloop het op 'n oplewing van oënskynlik wetenskaplike eksplorasie met nasionalistiese konnotasies wat wyd bekend geword het as die ‘Helde Era’ van Antarktiese verkenning. Hierdie ontdekkingsreisigers se avonture, soos weerspieël in die populêre pers en bevorder deur nasionalistiese regerings, het 'n bepaalde opvatting van die vasteland gewild gemaak. Soveel so dat dit mense beweeg het om as toeriste die gebied te besoek en op die wyse hul helde se avonture te herleef in die vorm van toerisme. Die opkoms van die formele beheer van die Antarktiese vasteland word dan nagespeur en gebruik om aan te dui hoe dit teen die middel 1960’s tot aktiewe toerisme in die gebied aanleiding gegee het. Die veranderende aard van toerisme na die streek, sowel as die impak daarvan op die omgewing word ondersoek. Ten slotte, word Marion Island, Suid-Afrika se Sub-Antarktiese eiland bespreek deur die lens van toerisme en ontspanning. Toerisme word nie op die eiland toegelaat nie, wat hom leun tot 'n nuttige vergelyking met ander sub-Antarktiese eilande wat wel toerisme toelaat. Aangesien die meerderheid van die menslike interaksie met Antarktieka en die sub- Antarktiese eilande deur mans gedomineer is, handel die tesis ook oor manlikheid. Die tesis argumenteer dat die opbou van kennis in hierdie gebiede deur wetenskaplikes (miskien teenintuïtief) gelei het tot die skepping van die toerisme-bedryf, wat nie in staat sou gewees het om te floreer sonder die konstante menslike teenwoordigheid, wat deur die wetenskaplike basisse versprei oor die Antarktieka verskaf is nie. Ten slotte, bied hierdie tesis 'n vorm van ń etnografiese historiese ondersoek in die vorm van ń binnestaander / buitestaander teenstelling (tussen "wetenskaplike" en "toeris"), waar wetenskaplikes en ondersteunings personeel as binnestaanders, en toeriste, as buitestaanders beskou word.