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Soomaali Mi'yaa? an ethnographic exploration of Somali identity formation in Cape Town
Somalinimo is the blood, breath, and bone of this research. Meaning “the essence of being Somali,” this word walks through borders, creating transnational communities. Somalis are viewed as one people, and Somalis believe themselves to be one people. This thesis explores the meaning and transformati...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
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African Cinema Unit
2025
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| _version_ | 1867613261436813312 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Omar, Billan |
| author2 | Nyamnjoh, Francis B |
| author_browse | Nyamnjoh, Francis B Omar, Billan |
| author_facet | Nyamnjoh, Francis B Omar, Billan |
| author_sort | Omar, Billan |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Somalinimo is the blood, breath, and bone of this research. Meaning “the essence of being Somali,” this word walks through borders, creating transnational communities. Somalis are viewed as one people, and Somalis believe themselves to be one people. This thesis explores the meaning and transformation behind this essentialism and how Somalis in South Africa employ this one ness to form interconnecting Diasporas with ease. This ethnography pieces together the stories of a few Somalis I had the privilege of working with during my time volunteering with the Somali Association of South Africa (SASA). With the office located in Bellville, truly at the heart of Somali society in Cape Town, I attempted to understand and document the ways Somalis construct and hold together their multiple identities, while also unpacking my own. Belonging, conviviality, movement, and performance are significant themes throughout this research. As oral history is a historically significant part of Somali culture and society, it is especially important to preserve the Somali voice, and those voices outside of Somali lands. In a world that is actively decolonising and recolonising every day, perception and power are everything. How do Somalis express themselves culturally in a generally “non-Somali” like place? Can South Africa be considered a “home” at all? Thus, my principal research questions are as follows: 1) How do Somalis in Cape Town define their Somalinimo? 2) What cultural tools do Somalis utilise and essentialise in efforts to mobilise? While Somali Studies is a small, but growing field, the pool of research surrounding Somalis in South Africa hovers steadily around a series of themes: the shopkeeper, the victim, the foreigner. Somalis in Cape Town are nimble-footed and nimble-minded, forever marked by their journeys, and their Somalinimo travels with them. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41226 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:33:19.547Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| publishDateRange | 2025 |
| publishDateSort | 2025 |
| publisher | African Cinema Unit |
| publisherStr | African Cinema Unit |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/41226 Soomaali Mi'yaa? an ethnographic exploration of Somali identity formation in Cape Town Omar, Billan Nyamnjoh, Francis B Somali Association South Africa identity Somalinimo is the blood, breath, and bone of this research. Meaning “the essence of being Somali,” this word walks through borders, creating transnational communities. Somalis are viewed as one people, and Somalis believe themselves to be one people. This thesis explores the meaning and transformation behind this essentialism and how Somalis in South Africa employ this one ness to form interconnecting Diasporas with ease. This ethnography pieces together the stories of a few Somalis I had the privilege of working with during my time volunteering with the Somali Association of South Africa (SASA). With the office located in Bellville, truly at the heart of Somali society in Cape Town, I attempted to understand and document the ways Somalis construct and hold together their multiple identities, while also unpacking my own. Belonging, conviviality, movement, and performance are significant themes throughout this research. As oral history is a historically significant part of Somali culture and society, it is especially important to preserve the Somali voice, and those voices outside of Somali lands. In a world that is actively decolonising and recolonising every day, perception and power are everything. How do Somalis express themselves culturally in a generally “non-Somali” like place? Can South Africa be considered a “home” at all? Thus, my principal research questions are as follows: 1) How do Somalis in Cape Town define their Somalinimo? 2) What cultural tools do Somalis utilise and essentialise in efforts to mobilise? While Somali Studies is a small, but growing field, the pool of research surrounding Somalis in South Africa hovers steadily around a series of themes: the shopkeeper, the victim, the foreigner. Somalis in Cape Town are nimble-footed and nimble-minded, forever marked by their journeys, and their Somalinimo travels with them. 2025-03-20T12:34:43Z 2025-03-20T12:34:43Z 2024 2025-03-20T12:30:37Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MSc http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41226 en eng application/pdf African Cinema Unit Faculty of Humanities University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Somali Association South Africa identity Omar, Billan Soomaali Mi'yaa? an ethnographic exploration of Somali identity formation in Cape Town |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Soomaali Mi'yaa? an ethnographic exploration of Somali identity formation in Cape Town |
| title_full | Soomaali Mi'yaa? an ethnographic exploration of Somali identity formation in Cape Town |
| title_fullStr | Soomaali Mi'yaa? an ethnographic exploration of Somali identity formation in Cape Town |
| title_full_unstemmed | Soomaali Mi'yaa? an ethnographic exploration of Somali identity formation in Cape Town |
| title_short | Soomaali Mi'yaa? an ethnographic exploration of Somali identity formation in Cape Town |
| title_sort | soomaali mi yaa an ethnographic exploration of somali identity formation in cape town |
| topic | Somali Association South Africa identity |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41226 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT omarbillan soomaalimiyaaanethnographicexplorationofsomaliidentityformationincapetown |