Islam in South Africa pre-dates the colonial period, and consisted of isolated contact with Arab and East Africa traders. Many South African Muslims are described as Coloureds, notably in the Western Cape, including those whose ancestors came as slaves from the Indonesian archipelago (the Cape Malays). Others are described as Indians, notably in Kwazulu-Natal, including those whose ancestors came as traders and indentured servants from South Asia; they have been joined by others from other parts of Africa as well as white or black South African converts. However, the current Muslim tradition in the country dates from the arrival of Sheikh Abdurahman Matebe Shah, a Malay sheikh from Sumatra, in 1668. The country's first mosque, Awwal Mosque, was built in 1798 it then-Cape Colony.
Read more about Islam In South Africa: History, Political Parties, Organisations, Prominent Muslims, South African Schools of Islam, Community & Interfaith Relations, Education, Islamic Extremism
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