Al Jama-ah's performance in the Bo-Kaap voting district during the 2026 Local Government Elections has been highlighted as a significant indicator of residents' concerns about the area's future. Advocate Shameemah Salie of Al Jama-ah stated that the party's support demonstrated that residents recognised its efforts to protect the neighbourhood's heritage, culture, and identity. The party's involvement in issues affecting the community was also acknowledged by voters.
Bo-Kaap is a historic neighbourhood with a rich cultural heritage that residents, tour operators, and community organisations are working to preserve. Salie described Bo-Kaap as a living heritage that needed to be protected for future generations. The area's cultural identity and heritage have been central to Al Jama-ah's work, with the party advocating for measures to prevent gentrification and spatial injustice.
Residents, tour operators, and community organisations have raised concerns about the impact of tourism on the neighbourhood. At a meeting hosted by the Bo-Kaap Civic and Ratepayers Association, tour operators and guides supported calls for tighter controls on tourism. The association's representatives expressed concerns about traffic congestion, noise, compromised privacy, and commercial activity affecting the neighbourhood's residential character.
The City of Cape Town has implemented measures to regulate tourism in Bo-Kaap. In April 2025, restrictions were announced to prevent tour buses with 36 or more seats from entering Bo-Kaap via Wale Street. Alternative drop-off and parking facilities were provided along Buitengracht Street, while smaller buses were allocated a drop-off point outside the Bo-Kaap Museum and parking behind the Schotsche Kloof Civic Centre.
The Bo-Kaap Civic and Ratepayers Association has made several demands to manage tourism in the area. These include traffic officers on Wale Street, dedicated parking bays for residents, limits on tour-group sizes, and designated holding areas for tour buses outside narrow residential streets. Ward 77 councillor Francine Higham acknowledged residents' concerns and forwarded the association's requests to relevant City departments.
Heritage protection measures have been implemented in Bo-Kaap to prevent inappropriate development and alterations. In April 2019, the City of Cape Town gazetted a Heritage Protection Overlay Zone covering all land units and public streets in the neighbourhood. This designation provides additional heritage considerations when development applications are assessed.
Al Jama-ah's support in Bo-Kaap reflects residents' recognition of its involvement in issues affecting the community. Salie stated that the community's history and cultural identity remained central to the party's work in the area. The party's efforts to protect the neighbourhood's heritage, culture, and identity were acknowledged by voters, who turned out in numbers to support Al Jama-ah.
Key points
- Al Jama-ah's performance in Bo-Kaap demonstrates residents' concerns about gentrification and tourism.
- The City of Cape Town has implemented measures to regulate tourism in Bo-Kaap.
- Heritage protection measures have been implemented to preserve Bo-Kaap's cultural heritage.
