What were the motives for imperialism in Africa?

Such was the rivalry between European powers that, in 1884 and 1885, the Berlin conference was held to map out European possession of Africa, and by 1900, over 90 percent of African territory was nominally under European control. Trading Resources. Africa’s natural resources were an important component in motivating European colonialism. read more

When imperialism first begun in Africa, the Imperialists didn't need to explain their motives to natives, and on the rare occasions that they bothered to, their main excuses were along the lines of "ensuring peace and stability in the territories" and "accelerating growth and development". These, as was found out later, were just the façade. read more

Motives for Imperialism Five Motives for Imperialism. Various motives prompt empires to seek to expand their rule over other countries or territories. These include economic, exploratory, ethnocentric, political, and religious motives. Economic: Imperial governments, and/or private companies under those governments, sought ways to maximize profits. read more