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A marching Cape Malay Choir on the streets of the Bo-Kaap, January 1, 2026.
The streets of the Bo-Kaap in Cape Town came alive with the sights and sounds of over 30 Cape Malay choirs who rang in the new year in the age-old road march or “nagtroepe” tradition.
With its roots in the times of slavery in the Cape, the event draws hundreds of spectators each year, with people coming from near and far to witness the unique spectacle.
Vibrating with the sounds of marching Cape Malay Choirs, the streets of the Bo-Kaap heralded the end of the old year and ushered in the new.
Organisers of the nagtroepe date back to the mid-19th century.
Board member Zubair Dramat says, “It’s a night of joy, a night of emancipation as we are still today, after all these years, celebrating where our forefathers walked when they were brought here. We are currently standing on the streets of Bo-Kaap. This is where the free slaves lived their daily lives and we are singing and dancing in these streets today. If you go further down the route, we come past the slave lodge and we are still singing traditional folk songs that were passed down to us by our forefathers and it was sung at that time. We are still singing it tonight because that is heritage.”
VIDEO | Cape Malay choirs ring in the new year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y1iBV1uSPw
