Travel along the old trade routes that shaped Africa’s landscape

Long before colonial borders or modern highways, Africa was threaded together by trade routes, writes Miriam Kimvangu.

These routes carried gold, salt, ivory, spices, beads and ideas between inland kingdoms and coastal ports. They also connected people across deserts, savannahs and river valleys, creating economic networks and cultural exchange that still echo in today’s landscapes. Following these ancient paths offers a way to understand Africa beyond monuments, revealing how movement and trade built cities, belief systems and shared identities.

From interior kingdoms to coastal ports

Throughout southern and eastern Africa, powerful inland societies thrived because of their access to trade. Great Zimbabwe stands as one of the most compelling examples. Between the 11th and 15th centuries, the city was a hub in a far-reaching trade network that linked the Zimbabwean plateau to Swahili Coast ports such as Kilwa Kisiwani. Gold mined inland travelled east, exchanged for Chinese porcelain, glass beads and cloth that filtered back through caravan routes.

Today, visitors to Great Zimbabwe can walk among the dry-stone walls while learning how the city’s prosperity depended on these exchanges. Nearby museums and heritage centres explain how traders moved goods via rivers and footpaths that later shaped settlement patterns across the region. The journey from the interior to the coast becomes more than a physical route. It is a story of global connection centuries before globalisation had a name.

The Swahili Coast and Indian Ocean trade

The Swahili Coast of East Africa is another living archive of ancient trade routes. From southern Somalia to northern Mozambique, coastal towns such as Lamu, Mombasa and Zanzibar grew wealthy through Indian Ocean trade linking Africa with Arabia, Persia, India and China.

Walking through Stone Town in Zanzibar or the narrow streets of Lamu Old Town will show architectural traces of this exchange. Coral stone houses, carved wooden doors and mosques reflect centuries of cultural blending. Markets still sell spices once carried by dhow, while harbours remain launch points for traditional sailing vessels.

You can follow these maritime trade routes by visiting coastal heritage sites, taking guided dhow cruises or exploring museums that document how monsoon winds dictated trading seasons. These experiences make clear that the coast was never peripheral. It was central to a dynamic international trading system.

Southern Africa’s forgotten trade corridors

Southern Africa’s trade routes are less widely known but equally significant. Long before European settlement, trade paths connected the Limpopo Valley to the Indian Ocean. Mapungubwe, located at the confluence of the Limpopo and Shashe rivers, was a powerful kingdom whose wealth came from controlling trade between inland communities and coastal traders.

Today, Mapungubwe National Park combines natural beauty with deep history. Guided tours explain how glass beads and gold artefacts found at the site link it to Indian Ocean trade networks. Nearby cultural villages and regional museums expand on how goods moved south and east through routes that later influenced colonial roads and railways. In South Africa, you can trace aspects of these ancient paths through heritage towns that grew along trading corridors. Places such as Musina, Makhado and parts of KwaZulu-Natal still reflect their role as meeting points between traders, farmers and herders.

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Markets as living trade routes

One of the most accessible ways to experience ancient trade traditions is through markets. Across Africa, markets remain spaces of exchange that mirror older trading practices. In Morocco, souks in cities such as Marrakech and Fez sit at the end points of Saharan caravan routes that once transported salt and gold across the desert.

In southern Africa, informal markets and trading hubs continue this legacy. From bead markets in Eswatini to craft stalls along historic routes in Limpopo, these spaces reflect continuity rather than nostalgia. Travellers who take time to engage with traders, artisans and local guides gain insight into how exchange has always been about relationships as much as goods.

Travelling with historical awareness

Many routes have shifted or disappeared. Heritage towns, archaeological sites and cultural villages have become important entry points into stories of migration, adaptation and resilience. By recognising how trade shaped regions, visitors also gain a deeper appreciation for Africa’s role in global history. To travel these paths today is to step into a long tradition of exchange that continues to shape the continent.

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