Bergie is a term used for a subsection ofhomeless people inCape Town,South Africa. The word originates from theAfrikaansberg meaning "mountain" – the term originally referred to the homeless people who sheltered in the forests of the slopes ofTable Mountain. The synonymous termstroller typically refers tostreet children living a bergie lifestyle.[1][2][3]
They arevagrants andscavengers, sometimes begging, performing odd jobs or working as informal car guards for tips. Most of them areCape Coloureds who speakAfrikaans mixed with a fewEnglish terms, and are known for their sense of humour, vulgar language and alcohol consumption.[4][5][6]
Their lifestyle is portrayed in the 1987 novelThe Strollers byLesley Beake,[7] the 1998 documentary filmPavement Aristocrats: The Bergies of Cape Town byFrançois Verster,[4] and the playSuip!, ablack comedy co-written and directed by Heinrich Reisenhofer.[8]Bergie, an award-winning short film by Dian Weys, depicts how a law enforcement officer removes people that are homeless in order to make way for a 10km fun-run.[9]
