Masiphumelele is located off a quiet scenic road that meanders down to the small seaside suburb of Kommetjie. It is framed by the picturesque mountains of the coastal peninsula. Large swaying eucalyptus trees greet you at the township's entrance, their leaves rustling in the gentle breeze. The area feels markedly different from the expansive parched townships of Cape Town's Cape Flats. It comes across more like a rural town than a mass urban satellite.

Mohamed and I walk into a spaza shop in one of the township's busy thoroughfares. Maryam is expecting us and greets us warmly from behind her shop counter. Her daughter Zamzam is sitting on a stool in the corner of the shop, her face bright and alert. While Mohamed and I speak with Maryam, Zamzam works behind the counter, accepting faded notes from customers and returning coins for change. As with many interviews, this one begins with logistical deliberations. Maryam would prefer to be interviewed at her home across the road, but her husband is away collecting stock and cannot watch the shop. Zamzam chips in animatedly, saying her father will probably be away for a while because he's in Bellville and reminding her mother that they will need to fetch her brother and cousins from crèche.

Maryam eventually agrees for the interview to go ahead in her shop, but it quickly descends into an awkward experience. She is noticeably upset about life in Masiphumelele. ‘I was stabbed two months ago,’ she says, flustered, showing me a dark scar on her wrist. But before she can carry on, a customer waiting to be served in front of us comes within earshot and we quickly stop talking. Maryam fidgets and looks around while I check my phone for messages. ‘My uncle has a phone like that,’ Zamzam remarks. She speaks with a ‘Model C’ accent typical of Cape Town's more affluent public schools. When we are able to talk comfortably again, I ask Maryam about rules governing the spaza market. In December 2011, she says, the ‘chief’ informed Somalis that they could not open new shops or purchase houses.