Whenwe
Encyclopedia
The term whenwe is a derogatory term used to describe former British settlers or expatriate
s, known to talk nostalgically about their former homes in colonial Africa
, i.e.: "when we lived in..." (the origin of the term). The original 'whenwes' came from eastern Africa, mostly Kenya
. Being largely of colonial origin, they went back to the United Kingdom
or moved South to Rhodesia
in the early 1960s.
The next wave of 'whenwes' was from 1980, around the time of Zimbabwe
's independence, and thousands of white Zimbabweans
moved to South Africa
, especially to Natal.
Expatriate
An expatriate is a person temporarily or permanently residing in a country and culture other than that of the person's upbringing...
s, known to talk nostalgically about their former homes in colonial Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, i.e.: "when we lived in..." (the origin of the term). The original 'whenwes' came from eastern Africa, mostly Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. Being largely of colonial origin, they went back to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
or moved South to Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
in the early 1960s.
The next wave of 'whenwes' was from 1980, around the time of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
's independence, and thousands of white Zimbabweans
Whites in Zimbabwe
White Zimbabweans are people from the southern African country Zimbabwe who identify themselves as white...
moved to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, especially to Natal.