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The story behind Afrikaaps needs to be celebrated during Heritage Day

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AS WE celebrate Heritage Month, it is important to note that South Africa is filled with incredible diversity, and this does not just seep into our culture, but our language too.

While South Africa has 12 official languages, the Afrikaaps or Kaaps language is something that emerged in the Western Cape.

Kaaps is a form of Afrikaans that was developed from interactions between indigenous Khoisan people and diverse groups like Malay, Portuguese, and Dutch people during the early colonial period.

Kaaps is a creolised language of the Cape Flats.

The early version of Kaaps functioned as a secret language for nonwhite communities to communicate without the Dutch colonists' understanding, a legacy that has been highlighted by linguists and cultural activists.

A Kaaps dictionary was also launched in 2021.

Collective