What is Kaapse Afrikaans, Kaaps, or Afrikaaps?

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Kaapse Afrikaans, Cape Town Afrikaans, Kaaps, Afrikaaps, or Mengels is the casual, everyday language spoken by most people on the Cape Flats. Unlike the formal Afrikaans you learn in school, Kaaps developed in the 17th century as enslaved people and European settlers mixed and mingled in the Cape.

History of Kaapse Afrikaans

At first, Kaapse Afrikaans was a way for the indigenous Khoisan people, Malays, West Africans and Madagascans to converse secretly without the Dutch colonists understanding. This early version of Kaaps gave them a secret language to plot rebellions and uprisings. Over time, as more and more diverse groups like freed slaves and immigrants arrived in Cape Town, Kaaps evolved into the lively mixed language we hear today. Words from English, Zulu, Portuguese and all sorts of other tongues got thrown into the mix. Kaaps became the everyday language of most people living in places like the Cape Flats, Bo-Kaap, and District Six.

Soon, over half the people living in the Cape at this time was speaking Kaaps at home. These days, more than 70% of Coloured communities speak Kaaps as their first language. Even though it sounds different from the Afrikaans you’re used to, these people see themselves as Afrikaans speakers.

But even after apartheid ended, Kaapse Afrikaans still isn’t seen as a legitimate language by many. Some intellectuals call it insulting names like “kombuis taal” (kitchen language), “Gamat-taal,” and “skollie-idioom,” and believe it’s not good enough for newspapers, literature, or schools. Kaaps speakers have had to fight to gain respect for their mother tongue.

Poets like Adam Small used Kaaps to talk about oppression and tell the stories of ordinary Capetonians back in the apartheid days. In 2012, young debut poet Nathan Trantraal accused Small of turning Kaaps into a joke, despite Trantraal’s poetry also being published in Kaaps. This comment caused an outburst of anger amongst writers and scholars. Many of them consider Small one of the greatest poets in Afrikaans literature, and for a newcomer to criticise him and his oeuvre is nothing if not seeking attention.

There are some who believe that Kaaps should be taught in schools and acknowledged as a valid dialect to ensure the future of Afrikaans. Michael le Cordeur, head of the Afrikaanse Taalraad, has said Kaaps should be taught in schools and accepted as a real dialect of Afrikaans so the language is preserved.

No matter what, one thing’s for sure – Kaaps is here to stay. It’s a blend of all the diverse cultures that came together to make Cape Town the colourful place it is today. Kaaps gives Cape Town its unique flavour. It’s part of what makes this city a national treasure.