What were the first white Afrikaans-speaking inhabitants of South Africa called?, the first white Afrikaans-speaking inhabitants of South Africa were known as “Voortrekkers” or “Voortrekkersvolk”. The term refers to a group of Afrikaners who moved to the interior of South Africa in the 19th century, mainly from the Cape Colony, to escape British colonial rule and establish their own independent republics. Voortrekkers, mainly of Dutch, German and French origin, were the forerunners of Afrikaans culture in South Africa.