Bo-Kaap: The Village in the City

Shereen Habib is an author, retired tour guide and politician, and a gifted storyteller. She grew up in the Bo-Kaap – born in her mother's house at the very top of the neighbourhood, learning Arabic at a mosque just down the road. Her family has lived in the area for the better part of the last two centuries.

She went on to found Tana-Baru Tours in 1994, building a community-based company registered with the Cape Town Tourism Board with links to most of the major tourist organisations in South Africa. She also wrote a book about the Bo-Kaap, and for a time her family ran the Noon-Gun Restaurant, an authentic Malay restaurant with spectacular views over the waterfront, Table Mountain, Lion's Head, and Signal Hill.

A meeting with Nelson Mandela at the Indaba in Durban in 1995 marked a turning point – he personally mandated her to showcase the Bo-Kaap to the world. Over two decades, her work put the neighbourhood firmly on the international map, featuring prominently in The Lonely Planet and several other international travel books, and attracting film crews from numerous international companies.

Rooted in her community, Shereen also stood as a ward councillor candidate for the Bo-Kaap, gaining 80% of the community's votes. Deeply interested in history as told by its people, she believed that the history of Cape Town needed some serious re-writing. She made a good start. Although she retired from guiding around 2014–2015, Shereen remains a committed and beloved presence in the Bo-Kaap community.

Bo-Kaap Museum, 71 Wale St, Schotsche Kloof, Cape Town, 8001

It's a bit of a far walk from the Cape Town Train Station, but there are MyCiti bus stops nearby.