Masiphumelele

Masiphumelele
Road sign in Masiphumelele township
Road sign in Masiphumelele township
Masiphumelele is located in Western Cape
Masiphumelele
Masiphumelele
Masiphumelele is located in South Africa
Masiphumelele
Masiphumelele
Coordinates: 34°7′S 18°22′E / 34.117°S 18.367°E / -34.117; 18.367
CountrySouth Africa
ProvinceWestern Cape
MunicipalityCity of Cape Town
Area
 • Total0.39 km2 (0.15 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)[1]
 • Total15,969
 • Density41,000/km2 (110,000/sq mi)
Racial makeup (2011)
 • Black African89.4%
 • Coloured1.8%
 • Indian/Asian0.2%
 • White0.2%
 • Other8.5%
First languages (2011)
 • Xhosa58.1%
 • English7.6%
 • Afrikaans2.8%
 • Sotho1.6%
 • Other29.9%
Time zoneUTC+2 (SAST)
Postal code (street)
7975

Masiphumelele is a township on the Cape Peninsula, South Africa, situated between Kommetjie, Capri Village and Noordhoek.

Initially known as Site 5, the township was renamed Masiphumelele by its residents, which is a Xhosa word meaning "let us succeed".

About 400-500 people first settled in the area in the 1980s. During apartheid residents were continually removed to the suburb of Khayelitsha, over 30 km away, but the numbers began to grow as apartheid began to unravel from 1990.

In 1990, about 8000 residents lived in the area, mostly in shacks, but by 2005, over 26000 people lived there, many in brick homes. In 2010, the population was estimated at 38000.[2] Many are from the old Ciskei bantustan in the Eastern Cape.

Amenities are scarce, with an overcrowded school, no police station, and an understaffed day clinic, while it's estimated that 30-40% of the community are infected with HIV and/or TB.[3] SHAWCO, the University of Cape Town Student's Health And Welfare Centres Organisation, runs weekly supplementary clinics from the Masiphumelele clinic.

  1. ^ a b c d "Sub Place Masiphumelele". Census 2011.
  2. ^ "MasiCorp Demographics". MasihumeleleCorporation. Archived from the original on 18 September 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2011.
  3. ^ "Living Hope Masi Page". Living Hope. Archived from the original on 16 January 2012. Retrieved 4 December 2011.