When slaves were brought to the Cape, they were given new names by their owners. One of these naming patterns used the months of the year. That’s why many people living in Cape Town have surnames such as April or Augustus.
Brand activation company Geometry Global sought out elders in each of these families, and interviewed them about their family heritage. Geometry produced a “Slave Calendar”, which features 12 Capetonians whose surnames hark back to this practice
It was recently awarded a gold Loerie, and will be exhibited at the Iziko Slave Lodge Museum.
In the lead up to Heritage Day, the Cape Argus will be featuring each of the 12 interviewees – one for each of the calendar months.
