Krotoa

Krotoa, or Eva (c. 1643 – 29 July 1674) was a Khoi woman who served as a translator for the Dutch during the founding of the Cape Colony.

Biography

Krotoa was born in 1643 as a member of the Goringhaicona (Strandlopers) tribe, and the niece of Autshumato, a Khoi leader and trader. When she was young, she worked in the household of Jan van Riebeeck, the first governor of the Cape colony. As a teenager, she learned Dutch and Portuguese and like her uncle, worked as an interpreter for the Dutch who wanted to trade goods for cattle. Unlike her uncle however, Krotoa was able to obtain a higher position within Dutch hierarchy as she additionally served as a trading agent, ambassador for a high ranking chief and peace negotiator in time of war. Her story exemplifies the initial dependency of the Dutch newcomers on the natives who were able to provide reasonably reliable information about the local inhabitants.

The Dutch’s initial arrival in April 1652 was not unilaterally viewed as negative. Many Khoen people saw the Dutch’s arrival as an opportunity for personal gain as middle men in the livestock trade; others saw them as potential allies against preexisting enemies. At the peak of Krotoa’s career as an interpreter, she held the belief that the Dutch presence could reap benefits on both sides.