Bo-Kaap

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About Bo-Kaap

Bo-Kaap sits on the slope of Signal Hill, adjacent to the city centre. The name means 'above the Cape' in Afrikaans. The neighbourhood was settled from the 18th century by freed enslaved people and workers brought from Southeast Asia, India and East Africa, who formed the community known as the Cape Malays, who are Muslim.

The low, flat-fronted houses painted pink, green, yellow and blue are the image of the neighbourhood. Wale, Rose and Chiappini streets are the most photographed. Among them are old mosques, such as Auwal, considered the country’s first, dating from the late 18th century.

The Bo-Kaap Museum, in an 18th-century house on Wale Street, shows how a Cape Muslim family lived in the 19th century and tells the history of the area.

Cape Malay cuisine is the tastiest memory of a visit: bobotie (minced meat seasoned with curry and topped with egg), mild curries and koeksisters, fried spiced sweets. The neighbourhood remains residential; walk respectfully around doors and pavements.