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Bo-kaap residents rally against over-tourism: demand sustainable solutions for cultural preservation

Bo-kaap residents rally against over-tourism: demand sustainable solutions for cultural preservation
The Bo-Kaap Civic and Ratepayers Association has submitted a proposal to the City of Cape Town that will see parking reserved for tour buses elsewhere in the city. (Photo: Nkululeko Ndlovu)
Nkululeko Ndlovu
By Nkululeko Ndlovu
25 Nov 2024
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Residents of the historical Cape Town suburb of Bo-Kaap have voiced their frustration over the daily deluge of tour buses in the area and lack of regulatory measures to prevent ‘over-tourism’. 

On Wednesday morning, 20 November, residents of Bo-Kaap, one of South Africa’s cultural hubs and known for its colourful houses, stood outside the Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum protesting against the unregulated access of tour buses to the suburb. 

The residents say that the enclave, which is home to South Africa’s oldest mosque, is being overwhelmed by “over-tourism”, and they are frustrated at what they claim to be the “extractive nature” of tourism in the suburb. 

“We have thousands of tourists and their tour buses coming into Bo-Kaap and blocking the roads, and residents cannot move out of their homes or get out of their neighbourhoods on certain days,” said Bo-Kaap resident Ayesha Gierdien, who joined Wednesday’s protest. 

Holding placards declaring “No buses in Bo-Kaap” and “Stop exploiting Bo-Kaap”,  protesters said tourism in Bo-Kaap is extractive rather than benefiting the suburb’s residents. 

“We have negotiated with the [City of Cape Town] for more than five years to get spaces for the buses to park and for our people to walk the tourists and have sustainable income for our youth,” Gierdien said. “But they haven’t done anything about this”. 

Difficult living situation


A Bo-Kaap resident holds a sign that says 'Stop exploiting Bo-Kaap'. Bo-Kaap protesters argue that the benefits of tourism are not passed on to the residents. (Photo: Nkululeko Ndlovu)



Bo-Kaap residents protest with colourful houses in the background Bo-Kaap residents protest outside the Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum in Wale Street, Cape Town, on Wednesday, 20 November 2024. They say they are frustrated at the overwhelming number of tour buses that descend on the area daily, causing congestion and disrupting their lives. (Photo: Nkululeko Ndlovu)



Known for its rows of colourful houses, the suburb is a popular tourist destination for local and foreign tourists who want to experience the culture of one of the few non-white enclaves that survived apartheid’s forced removals. 

Nasser Essop, who has lived in the Bo-Kaap for more than 25 years, said: “We do not mind tourists because we feel that we contribute to the South African economy in a meaningful way.

“But we demand the appropriate respect because our contribution – the [City of Cape Town] does not paint these houses, we do. And to be honest with you, most tourists that come are not interested in the history of any place they go to” he said. 

James Vos, the City’s mayoral committee (mayco) member for economic growth, said tourism contributed about R27.3-billion to the economy in 2023. 

However, he added, “the City does not ‘make’ any income directly from tourism”. 

Because the suburb is home to a largely Muslim population, Essop stressed the importance of tourists’ respecting the enclave’s call-to-prayer. 

“You will find that the call to prayer goes on but people are running around making noise, which is in itself disruptive. The appropriate education has got to be provided to tour guides, to say to them, at one o’clock when you hear Adhan, just quiet down for 10 minutes,” Essop said. 

Apart from the congestion caused by the large tour buses and foot traffic along Bo-Kaap’s narrow cobblestone roads, Gierdien expressed frustration at the lack of privacy afforded by tour groups to residents. 

“We have tourists going onto people’s stoeps and taking pictures every day. Is that fair? Is it fair that you can’t open your curtain because you have people peeping through your windows?” she said. 

While Abdul Wahab Ahmed (75), the second-generation owner of the Atlas Trading Company spice shop in Bo-Kaap, acknowledges that tour buses cause congestion, he argues that tourism is vital to Bo-Kaap and its people. 

“There are people in the Bo-Kaap that benefit from tourism; 40% of my own business comes from tourists. These private people, they give cooking lessons to the tourists – they show them how to make samoosas and how to make curry,” he said. 

Ahmed said residents ought to be tolerant of tourists. “The tourists just basically come and take pictures. The culture is ours to protect; they just enjoy their time here.”

What is the City of Cape Town doing?


A protester in Bo-Kaap with a loud-hailer The Bo-Kaap Civic and Ratepayers Association has submitted a proposal to the City of Cape Town that will see parking reserved for tour buses elsewhere in the city. (Photo: Nkululeko Ndlovu)



Ahead of Wednesday’s protest, the Bo-Kaap Civic and Ratepayers Association (BKCRA) submitted a traffic plan to the City of Cape Town through the area’s ward councillor, Francine Higham.

The plan allocates tour buses their own parking zones outside the Bo-Kaap area, at nearby Buitengracht Street and Riebeeck Square.

Higham said she “understands their frustrations, particularly with regards to the issue of traffic congestion and parking challenges caused by the large 40-seater tour buses that come into the Bo-Kaap”. 

“I brought these concerns to the attention of the City’s Urban Mobility Department some time ago, and the City is in the process of developing a traffic plan for the area”. 

The City’s mayco member for urban mobility, Rob Quintas, said “the planning department is currently preparing a proposal to manage the risk while also fostering local tourism”. 

Zikhona Jaftha, communications officer at the Iziko Bo-Kaap Museum said “the protest was in a public space, and it did not interrupt the services of the museum”. DM

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