Radio 786’s Shifaa Project headed to Parkwood as its journey across the Cape for Ramadaan continues.

Parkwood is a residential suburb located on the Cape Flats, near areas such as Ottery, Lotus River and Grassy Park in the southern part of Cape Town. The suburb developed largely during the apartheid era as part of the forced removals and spatial planning that relocated many “Coloured” communities to the Cape Flats. Today it is a densely populated working-class community with strong family networks and vibrant local culture. According to census data, the suburb has a population of around 11,800 residents.

The suburb hosts several Islamic institutions and mosques, including:

• Masjidus Sabr

• Masjiedun Nur

These mosques serve as centres for daily prayers, Qur’ān classes, madrassah education, and community welfare programmes, bringing together residents for religious learning and social support.

The Muslim community is also active in broader social initiatives. For example, events held at Masjidus Sabr have included large charitable drives during Islamic months such as Muharram, where volunteers distributed food and gifts to thousands of children in the neighbourhood regardless of faith.

Radio 786 partners with the South African National Zakaah Fund (SANZAF) to bring food and drink to those partaking in the Ramadaan fast.

During Ramadan, Parkwood is known for community iftars (boeka gatherings), including large street iftars that can attract thousands of participants from across the area, reflecting the strong communal spirit that characterises Islam in the suburb.