Spread of Maize Cultivation in Africa

Timeline

1. 1500–1550Ports of the Gulf of Guinea coast · Gulf of GuineaPortuguese and later European ships brought American maize seeds to the West African coast, where maize was first cultivated experimentally in coastal settlements and plantations as a supplementary food and fodder crop.
2. 1550–1650Upper Niger River basin · SahelMaize entered the Sahel and forest belt along trade routes and slave-trade networks; farmers incorporated it into dry-season planting and rotation systems, and in some areas maize began replacing millet as the staple food.
3. 1661–1670Agricultural zones of Central and East Africa · Great Lakes regionBy the early Kangxi reign, maize was widely cultivated in the East African Great Lakes region and the Central African highlands, coexisting with cassava and sorghum, supporting population growth and changing the food composition of local markets.
4. 1700Southern African plateau · Southern AfricaMaize became further established in Southern Africa, blending with Bantu agricultural traditions and laying the foundation for the later maize-based agriculture of Southern Africa.