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Christianity arrived in South Africa with settlers, starting with Jan van Riebeeck in 1652, when Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC, Dutch East India Company) authorized him to establish a post to resupply food and fuel to ships traveling between the Netherlands and Southeast and South Asia. With him came three ships of settlers, who began living in Cape Town and for public worship, only the Nederduitse Gereformeerde Kerk (or Dutch Reformed Church) was granted to exclusive rights and protection by the settlers (or Boers) till 1806.
In July 1737, Georg Schmidt arrived in South Africa as a Christian missionary, founded the first Protestant mission called the Moravian Brethren. He began working with the Khoi-Khoi tribe. Schmidt established himself at Zoetemelksvlei first, but months later moved to what is now known as Genadendal. In 1742, he baptised five Khoi-khoi slaves. This caused an uproar because the Dutch Reformed Church back then held the view that baptised Christians must be free, not slaves. The controversy and hostility of the European settlers forced Schmidt to leave South Africa two years later, in 1744, bringing to complete halt all Christian missionary activity for about 50 years.
Jan van Riebeeck