The Cape Malays are an ethnic group who can claim descent from slaves brought to South Africa from Indonesia starting from 1667. They are predominantly found in the Western Cape. The slaves were Muslim resistors to Dutchimperialism and anti-Islamic persecution exiled into slavery. The Malays brought Islam to South Africa as well their own culture, foods, and words. These are still apparent today in South Africa. Foods such as brodie, bobotie, and sosaties are staples in many South African homes.
It is estimated that there are about 166,000 Malays in Cape Town with about 10,000 in Johannesburg. The picturesque Malay Quarter of Cape Town is found on Signal Hill, and is called the Bo-Kaap. Many Cape Malays also lived in District Six before it was demolished, and were forced to move to Colouredtownships.
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Further, since many CapeMalay people find their Muslim identity to be more salient than their "Malay" ancestry, there have also been many instances in which people in one situation were described as "CapeMalay", and were in another situation described as "CapeMuslim" by people both inside and outside of the community.
The "CapeMalay" identity was also a subcategory of the so-called "Coloured" category in the terms of the apartheid-era government's classifications of ethnicity.
The Malay languages and other languages that their ancestors brought are no longer spoken, though various Malay words and phrases are still employed in daily usage.
Further, since many CapeMalay people find their Muslim identity to be more salient than their "Malay" ancestry, there have also been many instances in which people in one situation were described as "CapeMalay", and were in another situation described as "CapeMuslim" by people both inside and outside of the community.
The "CapeMalay" identity was also a subcategory of the so-called "Coloured" category in the terms of the apartheid-era government's classifications of ethnicity.
People in the CapeMalaycommunity generally speak English and Afrikaans rather than Malay or other languages that their ancestors brought, though various Malay words and phrases are still employed in daily usage.
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