The UK had a problem getting South Africans to adopt its currency and join the colonial economy. They had their own currency and barter and were doing well with it. To force the adoption the UK instituted a "hut tax" that was only payable in the currency of the Crown and would literally burn down people's homes or imprison heads of households if the tax wasn't paid. This motivated the people to find employment that paid wages in the currency required to pay the tax.