In Southern Africa Cape Coloureds (Afrikaans: Kaapse Kleurling) is the name given to an ethnic group composed primarily of persons of mixed race. Although Cape Coloureds form a minority group within South Africa, they are the predominant population group in the Western Cape.
They are generally bilingual, though some speak only Afrikaans, and others primarily speak English. Some Cape Coloureds may "code switch", speaking a patois of Afrikaans and English called Kaapse Afrikaans also known as Kaaprikaans. Cape Coloureds were defined under the apartheid regime as a subset of the larger Coloured race group.
At least one genetic study indicates that Cape Coloureds have an ancestry consisting of the following ethnic groups:
Khoisan: (32–43%)Bantu-speaking Africans: (20–36%)Ethnic groups in Europe: (21–28%)Asian peoples: (9–11%)Origin and history
The Cape Coloureds are a heterogeneous South African ethnic group, with diverse ancestral links. Ancestry may include European colonizers, indigenous Khoisan, Xhosa people, and slaves imported from the Dutch East Indies (or a combination of all). People from India and the islands within the Indian Ocean region were also taken to the Cape and sold into slavery by the Dutch settlers. The Indian slaves were almost invariably given Christian names but their places of origin were indicated in the records of sales and other documents so that it is possible to get an idea of the ratio of slaves from different regions. These slaves were, however, dispersed and lost their Indian cultural identity over the course of time. Slaves of Malay and other ancestry were brought from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Madagascar, and Mozambique. This diverse assortment of people was subsequently classified as a single group under the Apartheid regime.
Under Apartheid, under the Population Registration Act as amended, the term Cape Coloured referred to a subset of Coloured South Africans, with subjective criteria having been used by the bureaucracy to determine whether a person was a Cape Coloured, or belonged to one of a number of other related subgroups such as the "Cape Malays", or "Other Coloureds".
A group of Cape Coloureds were interviewed in the documentary series Ross Kemp on Gangs. One of the gang members who participated in the interview mentioned that black South Africans have been the main beneficiaries of South African social promotion initiatives while the Cape Coloureds have been further marginalised.
The award-winning film I'm Not Black, I'm Coloured - Identity Crisis at the Cape of Good Hope (Monde World Films, 2009 USA release) is one of the first historical documentary films to explore the legacy of Apartheid through the viewpoint of the Cape Coloured community, including interviews with elders, Pastors, members of Parliament, students and everyday people struggling to find their identity in the new South Africa.
The term "coloured" is treated as a neutral description in Southern Africa, classifying people of mixed race ancestry. In western countries, such as the USA the term is regarded as a derogatory term: the preferred usage is "person of color". It should be noted, however, that this term tends to mean any non-white person, as opposed to a mixed-race person, where the term "multiracial" is used. "Coloured" may also be seen as offensive in some other western countries, such as Britain.
Tony Ehrenreich, South African trades unionist.Trevor Manuel, former Finance Minister, currently Head of the National Planning Commission of South Africa.Patricia de Lille, former PAC, then Independent Democrats leader, currently Democratic Alliance mayor of Cape Town.Gerald Morkel, the former Premier of the Western Cape.Dan Plato, Western Cape Community Safety Minister.Percy Sonn, former president of the International Cricket Council.Adam Small, political activist, poet and writer.Allan Boesak (Political activist & Cleric).Dulcie September, Political activist.Neville Alexander,Political activist, educationalist & lecturer.Zainunnisa Gool, South African Political activist & representative on the Cape Town City Council.James Arnold La Guma, trade unionist and political activist.John Gomas Political activist & trade Unionist.Alex La Guma, South African novelist & leader of the South African Coloured People's OrganisationArtists and writers
Athol Williams, poet, writer, scholar, social philosopherAKA, hip hop recording artistRichard van der Ross, teacher, politician, journalistGavin Jantjies, painterGarth Erasmus, artistGrant Jurius, artistTyrone Appollis, academicWillie BesterPeter ClarkeMustafa MalukaTracey RoseAdam Small, writerPeter Abrahams, writerRobin RhodeJames Matthews, writerOliver Hermanus, writer,DirectorRichard Moore Rive, writerChris Van Wyk, writerRozena Maart, writerPhillippa Yaa de Villiers,writer & performance artistDennis Brutus, journalist, poet, activistArthur Nortje, poetZoë Wicomb, writerDr. Don MatteraAmy Kleinhans, former Miss South Africa 1992 and first non-white Miss South Africa.Jo-Ann Strauss, Miss South Africa 2000, media personality and business woman.Tansey Coetzee, Miss South Africa 2007Tatum Keshwar, Miss South Africa 2008Liesl Laurie, Miss South Africa 2015Gary DolleyIgnatius MalgraffIlse DavidsQuanita BobbsKenny Solomon, South Africa's first chess grandmasterSergio Mullins, 2008 Olympian, sprinterShaun Abrahams, 800m runnerGeraldine Pillay, 2004 Olympian, Commonwealth medallistDonovan Wright, marathon runnerLeigh Julius, 2004 OlympianShaun Vester, track sprinterWayde van Niekerk, track & field sprinterCornel Fredericks, track & field sprinterPaul AdamsVincent BarnesLoots BosmanBasil D'OliveiraDamian D'OliveiraJP DuminyHerschelle GibbsOmar HenryGarnett KrugerCharl LangeveldtAshwell PrinceRobin PetersonWayne ParnellHenry DavidsRoger TelemachusAlviro PetersenVernon PhilanderBeuran HendricksReeza HendricksBryan HabanaBreyton PaulseAdrian JacobsConrad JantjesAshwin WillemseRicky JanuarieGio AplonBolla ConradiePeter de VilliersChester WilliamsAshley JohnsonEarl RoseJuan de JonghElton JantjiesLionel MapoeErrol TobiasHarold Otto KrugerCheslin Kolbe, Western Province & Stormers playerKurt Coleman, Western Province & Stormers playerDillyn Leyds, Western Province & Stormers playerCornal HendricksBenni McCarthyMark WilliamsShaun BartlettAndre ArendseDelron BuckleyQuinton FortuneLance DavidsNasief MorrisLeroy MalukaSteven PienaarMoeneeb JosephsStanton LewisDaylon ClaasenRaven KlaasenYvette Pietersen from StellenboschAKA, hip hop recording artistKim Engelbrecht, actress, Dominion, IsidingoKandyse McClure, actress, Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)Ncane, hip hop artist.Quanita Adams, actressJonathan Butler, jazz musician.Trevor Jones, South African born film composer.Trevor Noah, Host of the Daily ShowMeryl Cassie, actress from the TV series The Tribe.Lesley-Ann Brandt, actressJean Grae, hip hop artist.Kurt Schoonraad, comedian.Clint Brink, actorSoli Philander, television and radio presenter.Marc Lottering, comedian.Jenny Powell, television presenter.Jeremy Friedricks, cricket commentator and presenter.Irshaad Ally, actor, television presenter.Sathima Bea Benjamin, Jazz singer and composer, activist.Natalie Becker, actressJimmy Nevis, musicianCarmel Fisher, actressDenise Newman, actressVincent Ebrahim, actorVinette Ebrahim, actressMark Fransman, composer & performerRobbie Jansen, musicianTony Schilder, pianist & composerPaul Hanmer, pianist & composerKyle Shepherd, Jazz musicianTaliep Petersen, musician & director