The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

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Chapter 3 - Overview of Rites
But also in African states we can note an advancement of black Masonic
activity. Here, we have to distinguish between the Masonry that was brought to
Africa by the white colonialists in the late 18 th century, and Prince Hall Masonry.
The first kind of African Masonry was intended for the white colonialists. Prince
Hall Masonry for the blacks was introduced much later, and it was only in the
20 th century that blacks entered the Craft in numbers worth mentioning.
Freemasonry was brought to Africa in the form of a lodge in 1772, when
Goede Hoop Lodge No. 18 was erected at Cape Town, which possessed a charter
from the Grand East of the Netherlands. African Masonic development can be
seen as developing proportionally to the economic advancement of the region
and the prevalence of white population. Until the 19 th century there occurred no
real economic development in most areas, and consequently, the Masonic
activity was rather low. After the First World War, and especially after the
Second the Craft began to stride forward, and lodges were constituted rapidly. In
areas of large European population, Freemasonry was most likely to be found.
The great colonial powers who carved up Africa were the Portuguese, Spanish,
Dutch, British, French, Belgians, Germans, and Italians. The greatest Masonic
growth took place in the former British colonies of Eastern, Western, and
Southern Africa. According to Henderson and Pope, "[o]utside British territory,
Masonry met with relatively limited success." 307 The Grand Orients of France,
Belgium, and Portugal, who do not belong to "mainstream" Masonry and are not
recognized by the latter, founded the majority of non-British lodges.
307 Henderson and Pope, vol. II, p. 12.