Photos

The "coloured people" is the official South African term for the country's mixed descent inhabitants. They are the third largest population group in the country and today number just over three million. The Coloureds (as they are commonly called) live primarily in the Western Cape. Subcultures exist within the broad grouping: Cape Coloureds, Griquas and Cape Malays.

The coloured community has diverse origins. The Dutch colonials began importing slaves from as early as 1658. They came from elsewhere in Africa and from some of the islands of the Indian and Atlantic oceans. It was inevitable that admixtures were to follow. The Khoikhoi, Xhosa and white man added their own progeny over the decades. The Cape Malay has Indian, Arab, Malagasy, Chinese and Malay blood. These people are held together by their religion. They live mostly in Cape Town. The Griquas, who have a strong sense of identity, live in the Northern Cape. They are descended from Khoikhoi and white ancestors who met 200 years ago.

Coloureds were traditionally fishermen, farm labourers and servants. Today, many still live on farms, as farm labourers and in rural settlements. However, a large number of this community has begun to take their rightful places in politics, commerce, industry, education and the arts. Coloured folklore and music has become an integral part of the cultural scene in South Africa

In general and in cultural terms, there is very little to distinguish the coloured people from South Africans of European origin. Formal race classification seem to be unjust. Some 87% of coloured people are Christian; they are mostly bilingual, although Afrikaans is their first language.

Coloureds are "the salt of the earth" from the Cape, unique and colourful in their ways, music, cuisine, outfits. This picture was taken in the deep, rural Karoo-Namaqualand where most of the economy is based from agriculture, some mining and some tourism.
These two men were extremely friendly and had no issue when I asked for a photo of them in the donkey-cart.