Philippi

Philippi:

Philippi is a low-income settlement on the Cape Flats in Cape Town. It has a long history dating back to 1878. The history of Philippi has been heavily influenced by developments in the city, country and sub-continent more widely, particularly political developments in its surrounding neighbourhoods. During the early 1990’s, Philippi became an “apartheid battleground” due to contestations over housing development and allocation to black Africans who for a long time had not been allowed to settle in urban areas. Today, the population of Philippi consists of a number of disparate groups who settled in the locality at different times and through very different processes. As a settlement, Philippi presents both potential and a range of challenges. It is strategically located in close proximity to transport nodes and economic opportunities, such as the Cape Town International airport, the Philippi Industrial Area and the Philippi Horticultural Area.  Yet the area still faces serious development challenges in the form of poverty, unemployment, overcrowding, food insecurity, crime and exposure to environmental hazards such as flooding and fire.