Kaaps is spoken mainly by the Coloured community in the Cape Flats; a part of Cape Town in South Africa. It can be traced back to the 1500s where it developed as a language used for trade interactions between indigenous peoples, settlers and traders passing through. Until recently it has been treated as a dialect of Afrikaans, but it likely predates Afrikaans and has its own unique form that has evolved in tandem with the culture of its speakers in a way that makes it distinct from the more widely spoken Afrikaans language.

Today’s Kaaps speakers are descendants of the multiple ethnicities that lived in the Cape region under European colonisation, including Malays, Khoisan and other African peoples, many of whom were enslaved and oppressed. Through the generations, their language and identity have been stigmatised and ridiculed. But for all they’ve been through, the Kaaps culture is vibrant and colourful, known for their unique cultural music and creative verbal expressions. As they embrace their identity afresh, the translation of God’s Word into Kaaps brings further validation that they are utterly treasured and wonderfully made; a message with the power to heal centuries of discrimination.

Through Psalms that Sing, a team of artist-translators were put together to explore, translate and perform the biblical psalms in Kaaps. It resulted in a performance called "Alive in Kaaps". Initially, those invited to take part were sceptical, but they left beaming, excited by what they were a part of. Since then, it is having a profound effect on those who are encountering Kaaps as a validated language worthy of God’s Word. The most common phrases heard are, “That’s how we speak!” or “This is our music!”

Listen to the no.1 single "Assitie Virrie Yirre Vassie" by Alive in Kaaps.

"We knew we had a language that belonged to the people and the streets, but had no idea of its authenticity and uniqueness in our country and among our people. It is spoken of and should be recognized as such. We fell in love with our sound again. We felt validated."

- Shawn

A Kaaps man called Etienne Pieterse recently began translation, starting with the book of Mark. He encountered many setbacks but was able to complete a draft of the book of Mark which is currently being checked by consultants. At the same time, a Kaaps group has been taking part in the Psalms that Sing initiative. Psalms that Sing was founded as a response to the challenge of translating the Psalms, which are written in poetic form. By taking a poetic and musical approach to translation, the Psalms can be translated in a way that preserves the beauty and power of their creative form. The Kaaps group are professional musicians and so it is a match made in heaven, and their renditions of the Psalms have already blessed many.

Once the checking of Mark is complete, the plan is to launch a translation project with the initial goal of translating the whole of the New Testament.