What if Little Red Riding Hood Took Place on the Cape Flats?

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Kaaps. Kaapse Afrikaans. Cape Town Afrikaans. Afrikaaps. Mengels. Whatever you call it, the language from the Cape Flats has long been misunderstood. For years, it was brushed off as bad grammar or street slang. People called it “gham” — a label used to suggest someone sounds uneducated or “can’t speak proper Afrikaans.”

But that was once upon a time…..

Kaaps is the everyday voice of thousands on the Cape Flats. And Kaaps is getting the respect it should’ve had all along. You’ll already see Kaaps used proudly in newspapers like Die Son and The Daily Voice. It’s in films, it’s in local series, and it’s definitely in award-nominated literature. Michael le Cordeur, head of the Afrikaanse Taalraad, says Kaaps should be taught in schools and recognised as a proper dialect of Afrikaans. While that’s still a goal for the future, the presence of Kaaps in the media is growing — and it’s beautiful to see.

Cape Town writer Olivia M. Coetzee is one of the loudest voices pushing the dialect forward. She’s written Innie Shadows — her debut novel — completely in Kaaps.

To mark Afrikaans’ 100th birthday, she’s added something fresh: a Cape Afrikaans version of Little Red Riding Hood. The story is packed with all the elements of the dialect: Anglicisms, informal contractions, and pronunciation quirks that give it flavour.

You can read an excerpt in Kaaps Afrikaans below. The full story can be read over at NB Publishers.

Toe Rooikappie by die bos in gestappit, toe sien Wolf vi haa en hy stap toe oo na haa toe. Maa Rooikappie hettie gewiet watte gemôs van ’n dier hy wassie en sy was toe nie bang vi hommie.

“Hallo, Rooikappie. Dis ’n mooi dag vedag, nuh?” smilie wolf toe met Rooikappie.

“Ja, Wolf,” sê Rooikappie.

“Rooikappie, nou wantoe stap djy dan soe vroeg innie oggend?” vra Wolf toe.

“My ma’t my gestuu na my ouma toe.”

“Nou wat stiek djy weg daa onner jou vooskoot?” wil Wolf wiet.

“Ouma is siek en sy voel rêrigie lekkerie, en ek vat vi haa koek en ’n drienk. Ôs het giste gebak, en dit sal haa stêker maak.”

“Rooikappie, nou waa bly jou ouma dan?” vra Wolf.

“Sy bly somme hie naby. Dis soe 15 minute se loep van hie af, daa onnerie drie groot boeme. Daa is ’n heining wat vol bessies is daa langs. Djy moetie plek ken,” sê Rooikappie.

“Ooh lekka! Nou daa is ’n lekke brêkfis vi my. Maa hoe gan djy haa vang?” dinkie wolf vi homself.