Colours of equality

Ananya Bahl

Within the first five minutes of a walk through the cobbled streets of the Bo Kaap area in Cape Town in South Africa, it becomes clear as to why this place is one of the most photographed neighbourhoods in the city. The streets are flanked on either side by buildings and bungalows — designed in a mix of Cape Dutch and Cape Georgian architectural styles — that are painted in a plethora of hues, each one brighter and more vivacious than the other. The feeling one gets is similar to a child walking through Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory — it seems as if one is navigating their way through rows of unending candy that are cascading down Signal Hill — the hillock on which Bo Kaap is perched.

Work in the area was initially started in the 1760s by a certain Mr Jan de Waal, earning it the moniker, “Waalendorp”. The neighbourhood is a former township and was also subsequently known as the Malay Quarter because of its multicultural populace.

Malaysians, Indonesians and Indians, who came as political exiles and slaves to South Africa from Dutch colonies inhabited this township and brought with them their customs, traditions, clothing and food. They collectively came to be known as “Cape Malays”. All of these traditions merged together with South African culture to form a unique flavour that visitors get to savour first-hand today. 

During the apartheid era, the locals didn’t own houses but once that system of governance was abolished, they painted the town not just red but a host of colours, probably as a way to signify and flaunt their newfound freedom. As it turns out, that tradition continues to this day. There are nine mosques in Bo Kaap, out of which, the Auwal Mosque is the oldest — not just in the area but also in South Africa. Its construction began in 1794. The mosque’s first imam, Abdullah Kadi Abdus Salaam, was a prisoner on the Robben Island: the same place where Nelson Mandela was held captive.

Its Tana Baru Cemetery is the resting place of many holy scholars like Tuan Nuruman, Tuan Sayeed Alawse and Tuan Guru, and was the first piece of land sanctioned by the government for use as a Muslim cemetery after religious freedom was allowed in the early 1800s. The Bo Kaap Museum is housed in the neighbourhood’s oldest building and showcases typical lifestyle of a 19th century Cape Muslim family. Today, Bo Kaap offers visitors an amalgamation of many Asian cultures, and these can be sampled at its various traditional restaurants. Its bohemian attitude is also showcased in quirky start-ups like Monkeybiz, a company working towards the revival of traditional South African beadwork. It works with 300 South African women who come from as far as the Eastern Cape! 

Cape Town is known for its multicultural and creative vibe, and there are very few places in The Mother City that embody this combined ethos as perfectly as Bo Kaap does. Its bohemian, diverse and dare-to-be-different style also reflects the concept of the “Rainbow Nation”— a term famously given to its home country, South Africa.

Fact File

Eat: For delectable Cape Malay cuisine, look no further than Bo Kaap Kombuis — sample their bobotie mince pie and also get a dose of history from the family who runs it. 

Shop: The new modernist for décor items, Bo-op for African print bags and clothes and the Diamond Gallery for a sparkling Tanzanite collectible.

Do: Sign up for the Bo Kaap cooking tour with Zainie Mibach and learn the nuances of Cape Malay food. Try your hand at the “Scootours” tours with a big-wheeled scooter or if you prefer a more relaxed trip, head on a vintage sidecar tour with Cape Sidecar Adventures.