Europeans also brought diseases which had devastating effects against people whose immune system was not adapted to them. Most survivors were left with no option but to work for the Europeans in an exploitative arrangement that differed little from slavery. Over time, the Khoisan, their European overseers, and the imported slaves mixed, with the offspring of these unions forming the basis for today's Coloured population.
Diseases introduced by Europeans had a devastating impact on local populations whose immune systems were not adapted to them. Most survivors ended up working under exploitative conditions similar to slavery, eventually intermingling with Khoisan people and imported slaves, from which the current Coloured population developed over time.