In the history of Southern Africa, the Trekboere were nomadic pastoralists descended from mostly  Dutch colonists, French Huguenots and German Protestants in the  Cape Colony (founded in 1652). The Trekboere began migrating from the areas surrounding what is now Cape Town - such as Paarl (settled from 1688), Stellenbosch (founded in 1679), and Franschhoek (settled from 1688) during the late 17th century and throughout the 18th century.