Next up, we’ve traded in our Jeeps to explore Bo-Kaap, a historic community known for its vivid and colourful houses, on foot. Along with hands-on culinary lessons, Zayed Harris of Bo-Kaap Cooking Tour provides insights into the significance of the neighbourhood that was long populated by slaves. In front of a lime green and a hot pink house, Harris explained that during the Apartheid era, people of colour were restricted from owning property in the area.

Fast forward to 1980, at the height of the political struggle of South Africa, Bo-Kaap was at the heart of the struggle in Cape Town.

For the first time, residents were able to own the homes their families had lived in for hundreds of years. 

“It was a huge thing for us to finally own this piece of property,” Harris said. “So, we grabbed our savings, we bought the house and we found the cheapest paint we could find,” Harris continued.

“Like naughty kids with crayons, we went crazy with colour.”

While the pastel-painted houses still represent an expression of freedom, identity and cultural heritage, he said the colours change frequently, with the only rule being that you can’t paint your house the same colour as your neighbours’ house. “Next time you’re here and you think, now wasn’t that house green before? It probably was, the owner just got sick of it,” he notes, adding that it’s common for owners to slap on a fresh coat of paint every two to five years. 

Today, Harris’ family focuses on teaching visitors how to make traditional Cape Malay dishes ranging from spicy curries to stews, roti and samosas. “Cape Malay cuisine is synonymous with Cape Town; you won’t find this anywhere else in the world,” he says. Joining his mom and sister, we try our hand at preparing a lunch feast loaded with culinary traditions. The best part, of course, is getting to taste our creations, which are delicious beyond words.