In the early 1930S the then Southern and Northern Rhodesia were in the course of major programmes of building and construction, which required tremendous financial outlay, when the world depression broke out. The regions throughout southern Africa which were living primarily off the exports of their natural wealth were necessarily influenced by the depression, particularly as it was the prices of exported raw materials which suffered mostly from speculation on the world markets. During these years of depression—a period of surpluses of finished goods—the prices of raw materials, including those from colonial dependencies, were forced down.