Who among the following was the first to arrive in Africa as traders that eventually led to European colonization of Africa?

The Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive in Africa as traders, initiating a process that eventually led to colonization. Under the sponsorship of Prince Henry the Navigator, methodical expeditions began along the West African coast as early as 1419. By the mid-15th century, the Portuguese had opened sub-Saharan Africa to European trade, initially seeking gold and ivory [1]. In 1441, Portuguese sailors obtained gold dust, and by 1482, they established Elmina Castle in modern-day Ghana as a fortified trading post [2]. For approximately 150 years, West African rulers interacted with the Portuguese more than any other European nation. While other powers like the French and Dutch arrived later—the French, for instance, reaching Madagascar only in 1602—the Portuguese established the foundational maritime routes and trading networks that defined early European penetration into the continent [1].

Sources

1. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_maritime_exploration
2. [2] Modern India ,Bipin Chandra, History class XII (NCERT 1982 ed.)[Old NCERT] > Chapter 3: The Beginnings of European Settlements > The Beginnings of European Settlements > p. 48