aw i ; ▁Z amb ia ; ▁and ▁Z imb ab we ▁— ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Com or os , ▁Maur it ius , ▁Se ych elles , ▁May otte , ▁and ▁Ré union , ▁which ▁are ▁small ▁islands ▁in ▁the ▁Indian ▁Ocean . ▁ ▁The ▁Democratic ▁Republic ▁of ▁the ▁Congo ▁and ▁T anz ania , ▁though ▁more ▁commonly ▁reck oned ▁in ▁Central ▁and ▁Eastern ▁Africa ▁respectively , ▁are ▁occasionally ▁included ▁in ▁Southern ▁Africa . ▁This ▁common ality ▁between ▁these ▁countries ▁has ▁had ▁a ▁great ▁influence ▁on ▁their ▁military ▁history . ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁notable ▁wars ▁and ▁conflicts ▁in ▁Southern ▁Africa ▁were ▁those ▁between ▁the ▁colonial ▁powers ▁of ▁Europe ▁who ▁fought ▁to ▁domin ate ▁and ▁control ▁the ▁African ▁people ▁of ▁Southern ▁Africa ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁wars ▁between ▁the ▁British ▁and ▁the ▁white ▁Bo ers , ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁Af rik an ers , ▁who ▁were ▁mostly ▁the ▁descend ants ▁of ▁earlier ▁colon ists ▁introduced ▁by ▁the ▁Dutch ▁East ▁India ▁Company . ▁ ▁The ▁Dutch ▁fought ▁the ▁K ho ik ho i - D utch ▁Wars ▁( 1 6 5 9 – 1 6 7 7 ) ▁in ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁present - day ▁Cape ▁Town , ▁South ▁Africa . ▁Ang lo - D utch ▁wars ▁followed , ▁with ▁batt les ▁at ▁Battle ▁of ▁Mu izen berg ▁( 1 7 9 5 ) ▁and ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Bla au w berg ▁( 1 8 0 6 ) ▁that ▁established ▁British ▁power ▁in ▁South ▁Africa ▁perman ently . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Great ▁Tre k