By the turn of the century it was already a lively community made up of former slaves, artisans, merchants and other immigrants, as, well as many Malay people brought to South Africa by the Dutch East India Company during its administration of the Cape Colony.
Vid sekelskiftet var det redan ett livligt samhälle bestående av före detta slavar, hantverkare, köpmän och andra immigranter, liksom många malajer som togs till Sydafrika av Holländska Ostindiska Kompaniet under dess styrande av Kapkolonin.