a refueling station and a place to stock up on fresh produce during their long voyages to the East Indies. However, as they soon realized the strategic importance of the Cape of Good Hope, they began to establish a permanent settlement and fortification in the area. The Dutch wanted to control the Cape in order to secure their trade routes to the East Indies and to ward off possible attempts by other European powers to establish a presence in the region. The company also saw the Cape as a potential source of valuable natural resources such as timber, furs, and ivory.
