Turks in South Africa

Turks in South Africa (Turkish: Güney Afrika'daki Türkler) refers to the ethnic Turkish community living in South Africa.

Turks in South Africa

Total population
3,500[1]
Regions with significant populations
Cape Town Johannesburg Pretoria
Languages
South African English Afrikaans Turkish
Religion
Predominantly Sunni Islam and Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Mediterraneans, Greeks in South Africa, South African Jews

History

Ottoman era

Turks began immigrating to South Africa during the 19th century.^[2] In 1889, the Ottoman Empire sent and maintained Honorary Consulates in Johannesburg and Durban. By April 1914, Mehmet Remzi Bey was assigned as Consul General of the Ottoman Empire to Johannesburg; he died in 1916 and was buried in the Braamfontein cemetery in Johannesburg. On 21 November 2011, his remains were transferred to a memorial garden at the Nizamiye Mosque in Johannesburg.^[2][1]

At the request of the members of the sizeable community of Muslim Cape Malays living in the Cape Colony, the Ottoman government sent Abu Bakr Effendi of Kurdish descent to Cape Town to teach as well as preach Islam and help settle religious matters among Muslims. His descendants still live in various parts of South Africa.^[2]

Modern era

At the end of the 1980s, Turkey and South Africa signed some business deals.^[2] In 2008, they invested in energy issues to South Africa.

Notable people

• Karin Melis Mey
• Esmé Emmanuel
• Tatamkhulu Afrika
• Abu Bakr Effendi

See also

• South Africa portal
• Turkey portal

• Turkish diaspora
• South Africa–Turkey relations
• Immigration to South Africa