▁industry ▁by ▁bringing ▁gra pe ▁v ines ▁with ▁him ▁on ▁his ▁ship , ▁an ▁industry ▁which ▁would ▁quickly ▁grow ▁to ▁be ▁important ▁for ▁the ▁region . ▁He ▁also ▁promoted ▁territorial ▁expansion ▁in ▁the ▁Col ony . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁non - D utch ▁imm igr ants ▁to ▁the ▁Cape , ▁the ▁H ug uen ots , ▁arrived ▁in ▁ 1 6 8 8 . ▁The ▁H ug uen ots ▁had ▁fled ▁from ▁anti - Pro test ant ▁per sec ution ▁in ▁Catholic ▁France ▁to ▁the ▁Netherlands , ▁where ▁the ▁V OC ▁offered ▁them ▁free ▁passage ▁to ▁the ▁Cape ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁far ml and . ▁The ▁H ug uen ots ▁brought ▁important ▁experience ▁in ▁wine ▁production ▁to ▁the ▁Cape , ▁greatly ▁bol ster ing ▁the ▁industry , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁providing ▁strong ▁cultural ▁roots . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 7 0 0 s ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 7 5 4 , ▁the ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁settlement ▁on ▁the ▁Cape ▁had ▁reached ▁ 5 , 5 1 0 ▁Europe ans ▁and ▁ 6 , 7 2 9 ▁slaves . ▁But ▁by ▁ 1 7 8 0 , ▁France ▁and ▁Great ▁Britain ▁went ▁to ▁war ▁against ▁each ▁other . ▁The ▁Netherlands ▁entered ▁the ▁war ▁on ▁the ▁French ▁side , ▁and ▁thus ▁a ▁small ▁g arrison ▁of ▁French ▁troops ▁were ▁sent ▁to ▁the ▁Cape ▁to ▁protect ▁it ▁against ▁the ▁British . ▁These ▁troops , ▁however , ▁left ▁by ▁ 1 7 8 4 . ▁By ▁ 1 7 9 5 , ▁however , ▁the ▁Netherlands ▁was