ABSTRACT
Afrikaans is the most widely spoken language in the Western Cape due to the social history of this region. Cape Town's population, and the languages it speaks, is markedly different from inhabitants of other South African cities. It is impossible to understand the significance of the language used by young people in Rosemary Gardens and the other components of this book without unpacking how this language is related to race and space in city. The black working classes of the Cape colony began to forge a shared identity based on a common socio-economic status and a cultural heritage that had emerged during the colonial period, including a shared language. The Dutch East India Company (DEIC) arrived at the Cape in 1652, with the intention to establish a refreshment station between Europe and the East Indies. The voyage from Europe to the East took approximately six months, meaning that many sailors perished due to the lack of fresh food and water.
