Bo-Kaap

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Residential area of Cape Town on the slopes of Signal Hill

title: "Bo-Kaap" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["suburbs-of-cape-town", "museums-in-cape-town", "islam-in-south-africa", "historic-house-museums-in-south-africa", "south-african-heritage-sites", "former-coloured-townships-in-south-africa", "south-african-people-of-malay-descent"] description: "Residential area of Cape Town on the slopes of Signal Hill" topic_path: "geography/south-africa" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo-Kaap" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Residential area of Cape Town on the slopes of Signal Hill ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

Field	Value
name	Bo-Kaap
image_skyline	Boe-Kaap.jpg
image_caption	Bo-Kaap area of Cape Town, with its distinctive pastel colored houses in the foreground, the CBD to the left and Table Mountain in the background
mapframe	yes
coordinates
subdivision_type	Country
subdivision_name	South Africa
subdivision_type1	Province
subdivision_name1	Western Cape
subdivision_type2	District
subdivision_type3	Municipality
subdivision_name3	City of Cape Town
subdivision_type4	Main Place
established_title	Established
established_date	1760
leader_title	Councillor
area_footnotes
area_total_km2	0.95
population_footnotes
population_total	3203
population_as_of	2011
population_density_km2	auto
demographics_type1	Racial makeup (2011)
demographics1_footnotes
demographics1_title1	Coloured
demographics1_info1	66.0%
demographics1_title2	Black African
demographics1_info2	9.0%
demographics1_title3	White
demographics1_info3	4.3%
demographics1_title4	Indian/Asian
demographics1_info4	3.4%
demographics1_title5	Other
demographics1_info5	17.3%
demographics_type2	First languages (2011)
demographics2_footnotes
demographics2_title1	English
demographics2_info1	64.0%
demographics2_title2	Afrikaans
demographics2_info2	30.3%
demographics2_title3	Other
demographics2_info3	5.7%
timezone1	SAST
utc_offset1	+2
postal_code_type	Postal code (street)
postal_code	8001
postal2_code_type	PO box
area_code_type	Area code
area_code	+27 (0)21
::

Bo-Kaap is known for its brightly coloured homes and cobblestoned streets. The area is traditionally a multicultural neighbourhood, and 56.9% of its population identify as Muslim. According to the South African Heritage Resources Agency, the area contains the largest concentration of pre-1850 architecture in South Africa, and is the oldest surviving residential neighborhood in Cape Town. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Cape_Town_(ZA),Wale_Street--2024--_3544.jpg" caption="Bo Kaap, Wale Street"] ::

History

In 1760 Jan de Waal bought a block of land at the foot of Signal Hill, between Dorp and Wale Streets. A year later he obtained an adjacent parcel, extending his holding to Rose/Chiappini/Shortmarket Street. Starting in 1763, de Waal built several small “huurhuisjes” (rental houses) on this land, which he leased to his slaves. The first three are at 71 Wale Street (now the Bokaap Museum), above Buitengracht Street, and 42 Leeuwen Street respectively.

Skilled Muslim labourers called Mardijkers moved to the Cape from Southeast Asia and lived in the Bo-Kaap. Because the aboriginal tribes in the Cape Colony area resisted the Dutch, slaves were initially imported from Malaysia, Indonesia and different parts of Africa, hence the name “Malay”. Most of the new residents were Muslim, and several mosques were built in the area. The first one was Auwal Mosque, in Dorp Street in 1794. Between 1790 and 1825 more housing in both the Cape Dutch and Cape Georgian styles was built for the expanding population of tradesmen, craftsmen, and artisans. In 1804 the Tana Baru Cemetery was established to serve the Muslim families.

More Muslims continued to move into the area, including a wave of political exiles from Java and Ceylon circa 1820. After the emancipation in 1834 and the arrival of liberated slaves, developers constructed numerous rows of narrow, deep huurhuisjes.

The brightly coloured facades are attributed to an expression of freedom by the new homeowners, as all the houses were painted white while on lease, although it appears that the tradition of brightly coloured homes began in the late 20th century, rather than earlier.

Although the area has always been a centre of Cape Malay culture, until the implementation of the Apartheid Group Areas Act, it also had residents of other ethnicities. These included Indians, non-Muslim Coloureds, Filipinos, Africans, Portuguese and Italians at different times. Historically, the Bo-Kaap was larger than its current extent.

During Apartheid, the area was not bulldozed, unlike nearby District Six, however non-Malay residents were forcibly removed in accordance with the Group Areas Act, in an effort by a sympathetic apartheid government official (I. D. du Plessis) to preserve the Malay character of the area.

Preservation of the area began in 1943 when 15 houses were restored by a group of prominent citizens, with the support of the Historical Monuments Commission. In 1966 a portion of the area was designated as a National Monument. From 1971 the City Council began restoring houses and streetscapes, with 48 units completed by 1975.

While Bo-Kaap has been praised as a ‘picturesque district’ for its brightly coloured homes in shades of pink, red, blue, green, and purple, some buildings now display large foreign flags, particularly the Palestinian flag, stretching across entire blocks of flats, raising concerns that foreign political symbols and illegal graffiti or murals could overshadow the district’s colourful artistic heritage.

Gentrification

As a result of Cape Town's economic development and expansion, and after the demise of forced racial segregation under apartheid, property in the Bo-Kaap has become very sought after, not only for its location but also for its picturesque cobble-streets and unique architecture. Increasingly, this close-knit community is "facing a slow dissolution of its distinctive character as wealthy outsiders move into the suburb to snap up homes in the City Bowl at cut-rate prices". Inter-community conflict has also arisen as some residents object to the sale of buildings and the resultant eviction of long-term residents.

National Heritage status

In May 2019, 19 sites in the Bo-Kaap area were declared National Heritage sites by the South African Minister of Arts and Culture. The announcement followed the City of Cape Town council's March 2019 approving of the inclusion of the Bo-Kaap area in a Heritage Protection Overlay Zone (HPOZ), which will incorporate around 600 privately owned homes. The city received over 2,000 letters from members of the public, a strong majority of which were in support of the new Heritage Zone. The HPOZ stretches to the Table Mountain National Park, and includes the northern verges to the northwest of Strand Street as well as Buitengracht Street, between the intersections with Carisbrook Street and Strand Street.

The 19 sites became official National Heritage sites through a declaration by the South African Heritage Resources Agency, under the National Heritage Resources Act (No 25 of 1999). Objectives of the Heritage Zone include conserving the Bo-Kaap heritage by encouraging owners to retain and rehabilitate the existing residential buildings; ensuring new developments in the area complement existing landscape; and promoting social and cultural traditions in the area.

Bo-Kaap Museum

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2d/Bo-Kaap_Museum.JPG" caption="entrance to the Bo-Kaap Museum"] ::

The museum, whose building dates back to the 1760s, is the oldest house in the area still in its original form. It highlights the cultural contribution made by early Muslim settlers, many of whom were skilled tailors, carpenters, shoe makers and builders. It contains 19th century furnishings which include a fine Cape drop-leaf dining table, Cape Regency-style chairs and a bridal chamber decorated to match the bride's dress.

The museum is distinguishable by its voorstoep, a type of front terrace with a bench at each end emphasizing the polarizing aspect of Cape Muslim culture. The museum exhibits the lifestyle of a prosperous 19th-century Cape Muslim family along with black-and-white photographs of daily life in the area.

Gallery

File:Bo-Kaap_Primary_colours.jpg|Bo-Kaap primary colours File:Local Artist, Christopher Reid, Painting En Plein Air in Bo-Kaap.jpg|Local artist, Christopher Reid, Painting en plein air in Bo-Kaap. File:Bo-Kaap_British_houses.JPG|Bo-Kaap British Style houses File:Bo-Kapp Museum tour by Discott jeh.jpg|Bo-Kaap Iziko Museum File:The contrasts of the Bo-Kaap.JPG|Behind the Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum File:Auwal Mosque in Bo-Kaap.jpg|Auwal Mosque: the oldest in South Africa File:Chiappini_street_houses.jpg|Chiappini Street houses File:A scene in the Bo-Kaap, Cape Town.JPG|Daily scene in the Bo-Kaap File:A day in the Bo-Kaap at the Museum.JPG|The view of Signal Hill from Bo-Kaap File:15-37 Pentz Street, Bo-Kaap (01).jpg|Pentz Street File:The Bo-Kaap Heritage Mural by Nasser Palangi, 93 Wale Street, Bo-Kaap (01).jpg|Painted murals at 93 Wale Street File:73, Chiappini Street, Bo-Kaap (01).jpg|73, Chiappini Street File:Bo-Kaap side street.jpg|Shortmarket Street, view from Rose Street

References

"Sub Place Schotsche Kloof". Census 2011.
(2013). "A community in trouble?". Urbani Izziv.
Ishmail, S. (2019-05-02). "Recognition for Bo-Kaap as 19 sites to be declared National Heritage Sites". IOL.
. ["Getting to know the Bo-Kaap"](http://www.capetown.travel/visitors/see-do/arts-culture/heritage-history/getting-to-know-the-bo-kaap). *Cape Town Tourism*.
. ["Cape Town History: A Tourisrt Guide"](http://capetownhistory.com/?page_id=236).
Townsend, Lesley. (2015-10-15). "History and Style of the Bo-Kaap". The Heritage Portal.
Davis, Rebecca. "Bo-Kaap's complicated history and its many myths".
Savage, Rachel. (2025-02-10). "Bo-Kaap: the candy-coloured corner of Cape Town facing tourism v heritage dilemma". The Guardian.
Thebus, Shakirah. (1986-11-28). "New large-scale Bo-Kaap Palestine mural to highlight ‘right of return’".
Solomons, Lisalee. "City of Cape Town continues to clamp down on illegal graffiti and murals".
Kardas-Nelson, Mara. (October 19, 2012). "The bar that caused all the trouble in historic Bo-Kaap". Mail & Guardian.
link. (July 23, 2010)
Evans, J and Somdyala, K. (2019-05-01). "Arts & Culture minister declares 19 areas as heritage sites in Bo-Kaap". News24.
Planet, Lonely. "Bo-Kaap Museum in Cape Town, South Africa". Lonely Planet.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::