Editing Jan van Riebeeck (section)

=== Employment in the VOC ===
Joining the ''Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie'' (VOC) ([[Dutch East India Company]]) in 1639, he served in a number of posts, including that of an assistant surgeon in the [[Batavia, Dutch East Indies|Batavia]] in the [[East Indies]].<ref name=":0" />

He was head of the VOC trading post in [[Tonkin]], Indochina. After being dismissed from that position in 1645 due to conducting trade for his own personal account, he began to advocate a refreshment station in the [[Cape of Good Hope]] after staying 18 days there during his return voyage. Two years later, support increased after a marooned VOC ship was able to survive in a temporary fortress. The [[Dutch East India Company#Organisational structure|Heeren XVII]] requested a report from Leendert Jansz and Mathys Proot, which recommended a Dutch presence.<ref name=":0" />

In 1643, van Riebeeck travelled with [[Jan van Elseracq]] to the VOC outpost at [[Dejima]] in [[Japan]]. Seven years later in 1650, he proposed selling hides of South African wild animals to Japan.<ref>Osada, Masako. (2002). [https://books.google.com/books?id=XmD52sveLMEC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA28&dq= ''Sanctions and Honorary Whites: Diplomatic Policies and Economic Realities in Relations Between Japan and South Africa,'' p. 28].</ref>
[[File:Marion Walgate Coin Design.jpg|thumb|220px|1952 [[Coins of the South African pound#Coins of the Union of South Africa|5 shillings]] coin commemorating the 300th anniversary of the founding of Capetown, and depicting Van Riebeeck's ship, the ''Drommedaris'']]
Van Riebeeck was requested by the Dutch East India Company to undertake the command of the initial Dutch settlement in the future South Africa and departed from [[Texel]] on 24 December 1651. He landed two ships (The ''Drommedaris'' and ''Goede Hoope'') in [[Table Bay]], at the future [[Cape Town]] site on 6 April 1652, and a third ship, the ''Reijger'', on 7 April 1652. He was accompanied by 82 men and 8 women, including his wife Maria.<ref name=":1" /> The fleet originally included five ships, but the ''Walvis'' and the ''Oliphant'' arrived late, having had 130 burials at sea.<ref name=":0" />

Van Riebeeck commenced immediately to fortify the settlement as a way station for the VOC trade route between the Netherlands and the East Indies.{{citation needed|date=April 2020}} The primary purpose of this way station was to provide fresh provisions for the VOC fleets sailing between the [[Dutch Republic]] and [[Batavia, Dutch East Indies|Batavia]], as deaths en route were very high.