By Ragheema Mclean
As Heritage Month in South Africa comes to a close, it’s important to reflect on and celebrate the country’s diverse cultures. For many communities, this month offers a time to celebrate their distinct traditions, customs, and histories.
However, the month also raises a challenging question for many people within the Coloured community: What is Coloured Heritage and Culture?
Coloured identity and heritage have long been subject to scrutiny, with many arguing that it does not align neatly with the categories traditionally celebrated during Heritage Month.
However, the reality is that the term ‘Coloured’ carries the weight of colonialism, oppression, and historical erasure, which has contributed to the ongoing confusion about what the culture truly represents.
Political analyst and author Tessa Dooms, who co-wrote Coloured: How Classification Became Culture, said that the term Coloured represents an identity marker of various communities with distinct histories.
“The term Coloured is an identity marker of a community or various communities of people, and it has a history that comes from different spaces. Historically, you see Coloured as an identity marker starting off through the colonial and slave projects, where slaves were brought to South Africa,” she said.
According to Dooms, the term Coloured was one of the first “divide and rule” strategies imposed by colonial powers.
She referenced Cecil John Rhodes, who used the term in the post-slavery era to classify a group of people he could exploit for labour in the gold mines.
“They were the disenfranchised descendants of some of the world’s oldest peoples, the San and the Khoe. Rhodes called this mixture of people ‘Coloured’—not because they were mixed-race, but because they were displaced and exploitable,” Dooms explained.
The identity of Coloured people, Dooms noted, was shaped not just by biology but by colonial classifications designed to marginalize and dehumanize.
“In our own community, biology has mattered so much. The straighter your hair, the greener your eyes—the closer your appearance was to white, the more you mattered,” she said.
However, she stressed that beyond the physical markers, what truly defines Coloured identity is the culture that has evolved from this history of displacement and oppression.
“We formed a melting-pot community, bringing with us different experiences, histories, food, clothing, and language,” Dooms said.
To gain more perspective on what ‘Coloured Culture’ means to locals, VOC News took to the streets of Cape Town to ask people from the Coloured community how they define it.
The answers reflect a shared sense of humor, shared experiences, and connection to family traditions.
Here’s what some had to say:
- “Coloured culture is walking in slippers and socks on the beach.”
- “Eating chicken on a Sunday.”
- “Seeing the sun out and immediately needing to do washing.”
- “One drop of rain can fall, and I’m making a pot of soup.”
- “Koesisters and tea on a Sunday morning.”
- “If I know I have plans on the weekend, the Fade (haircut) has to be in.”
- “Getting a hiding with a wooden spoon or a sloffie (slipper).”
- “Getting together with your family, good food, good music, and all-around good vibes.”
- “It’s the klopse; it’s definitely the coons.”
These everyday experiences capture the essence of Coloured culture—a blend of lightheartedness, tradition, and resilience.
Whether it’s family gatherings around a pot of soup or sharing a sweet, spice infused syrupy koesister on a Sunday morning, the culture thrives in the ways people live, laugh, and love.
Dooms said that while the history of the Coloured community is marked by colonialism, segregation, and forced classification, the culture itself is a living testament to survival, adaptation, and strength.
“Heritage Month should embrace this complexity, acknowledging that culture can be a tapestry woven from various threads of history, struggle, and joy.”
Listen to the full feature below:
VOC News
Photo: Pexels
