Cape Malay

The term "Cape Malay" refers to a subgroup of the Coloured population in South Africa. This population group is of mixed descent, with origins tracing back to indigenous Khoisan peoples, slaves from Madagascar, Malaysia, and Indonesia, Europeans, and Bantu-speaking Africans.1

Specifically, the Malays, who largely originated from Indonesian Muslim slaves, are a distinct subethnic group within the Coloured population. While some individuals who were classified as Coloured under the apartheid government have rejected the label, others, including some Malays, continue to identify with it. These communities are primarily concentrated in the western parts of South Africa, particularly in the Western and Northern Cape provinces.1