Thousands of residents and tourists gathered in the streets of Cape Town’s historic Bo-Kaap neighbourhood on Friday, February 27, for a massive communal iftar, highlighting the Cape Malay community’s deep-rooted traditions of solidarity.
The event, held in one of South Africa’s oldest Muslim areas, saw long tables stretch across Wale and Rose streets. Families and volunteers shared homemade dishes that reflect the unique culinary heritage of the Cape Malay people as they broke their Ramadan fast.
Local resident Ebrahim noted that traditional staples such as daltjies (chili bites), samoosas, Bobotie, and koe’sisters featured prominently.
Bo-Kaap holds significant historical weight as the site of the country’s first mosque, the Auwaal Mosque, and as a former center of anti-apartheid activism. Imran Choonara, CEO of the South African Muslim Agency, said the street iftars embody “the spirit of Ramadan, sacrifice, and togetherness”.
Muslims make up approximately 2% of South Africa’s 63 million people. The community is primarily concentrated in Cape Town, as well as in cities like Johannesburg and Durban, which have large populations of Indian-origin Muslims. – AA