Originally published in 1931, A Modern Economic History of South Africa describes the state of Southern Africa in its early days. Its early expansion, the agriculture of the Trek Boers, the difficulties of communication over vast stretches of uncultivated land are woven by the author into a concrete picture of the economic life of the then undeveloped country. The development of the gold and diamond mining industries is discussed, as is their effect on the economy, and the development of infrastructure which followed such as the railways. The challenges of development are also analysed: the customs problems, the increased contact of European with Bantu populations and the ultimate unification of the sub-continent of South Africa.