Memons in South Africa

Memons in South Africa form a prosperous Muslim subgroup (pop approx 16000 [1]) in that country's Indian community, and are largely descended from Memons from Kathiawar who immigrated as traders, early in the 20th century from India. Villages and towns that South African Memons originated from include Porbander, Bhanvad, Ranavav and Jodiya.

Mahatma Gandhi (who came from Porbander) was hired as a lawyer by a South African Memon businessman. It was in South Africa that Gandhi launched his political activities.

Memons played a major role in the promotion of Islam in South Africa, and there have been rivalries for the management of local mosques [2] between Memons and Surtis, who are Gujarati-speaking Sunni Muslims. This is primarily due to the different 'Maslak' (path) Deobandi and Barelvi, although these are far less prominent than they were in the past.

Although the Memon language language is not widely spoken by younger Memons in South Africa, South African Memons continue to maintain a strong (although slowly eroding) Memon identity. Already, few younger Memons are even aware of the different towns from which their ancestors came. Although the early Memons practiced endogamy (marrying within their social group, including ancestral village), intermarriage between different Memon groups and other Sunni Muslims is now widely accepted, mirroring a similar integration among Gujarati Hindu groups from Surat and Shauarashtra [3].

Memon organisations in South Africa include the Memon Association of South Africa (formerly the Memon Association of the Transvaal), and the Natal Memon Jamaat [4].

Chief Justice of South Africa Ismail Mahomed was a Memon.