Skateboarding’s global reach extends far beyond the familiar landscapes of the United States. In South Africa, a vibrant skate scene has persevered since the early ’60s, despite limited resources. To understand the current state of skateboarding in South Africa, we spoke with Salik Harris, a Cape Town local.
Salik Harris in Cape Town
Salik, 35, runs Leaf Apparel, a hands-on clothing brand where everything is made in a Cape Town studio. His DIY spirit mirrors the resilience of South African skateboarding. He sheds light on the recent growth of the skate scene, the challenges of affordability, and the inspiring community initiatives that are shaping the future of skateboarding in South Africa.
Check out this local vid (made w/ help from Power Horse and Sole) to see the beautifully chunky Cape Town spots yourself.
The Evolution of Skateboarding in South Africa
How has the South African skate scene evolved over the years?
Skateboarding in South Africa has experienced periods of growth and decline since the 1970s. When I started skating, it was rare to see anyone else in my area doing it. Everything changed when a group of German skateboarders moved in. They were here to skate, film, and immerse themselves in the local scene. That was the first time I experienced other people from other parts of the world skating, and ever since then, you can’t walk down the road without seeing someone skateboard. It’s booming at the moment.
We try to get some boards from [our local shop] Baseline ’cause people buy a new setup, take whatever they don’t need, and give it to the kids, and just try and like uplift the community because they need skateboarding. They need something to do bro. And this area’s perfect for it, all the hills and stuff like that.
Why is skateboarding so important for the youth in Cape Town?
In Bo-Kaap, you’ll see kids playing cricket and soccer in the streets, something less common in other communities. While other communities are very closed off, here everyone used to be on their stoops or chilling at the shops, doing naughty things on the corner. But now you go to the corner and there will be a two-stair and six kids with two skateboards, each one having a turn.
Skateboarding took me away from a lot of things that could have ended really horrible. It kind of was addictive, so it’s all I wanted to do. I could have found so many other things addictive, and I’m really glad I found skateboarding addictive.
Affordability and Accessibility
How expensive are skateboards in South Africa, and is it affordable for most families?
Skateboarding gear has always been expensive and not very accessible, especially with limited skate shops. A quality skateboard, like a Fucking Awesome deck, can cost around 1,800 Rand, which is about $120 USD.
Are there any skateboard manufacturers in South Africa striving to make boards more affordable?
Yes, there are a few small local board companies, but recently two merged to create Slappy, our more established board company, printing very limited runs of graphics and supplying boards at a more affordable price for the locals. Slappy is trying to make skateboarding more accessible by offering boards at a lower price point.
Skateboarding as a Career in South Africa
Is it possible for skateboarders in South Africa to make a living solely from skating?
No, it’s not. Unlike surfing, where South African surfers can achieve international success and financial stability, even the best skateboarders typically need a side job. If I look at all the pros down here, or what I consider pro in my eyes, they all have a side job. Well, a job, and skateboarding is a side thing. It’s not like surfing, because a lot of world pros are from South Africa. Jordy Smith, he’s one of the best and he’s from here. I don’t think it’s in the same category because he must be earning crazy amounts of money, whereas the pro skateboarders, I don’t think earn any money. Maybe they get a little something from Vans now and then but no big-time salaries. We don’t have anyone here at that level.
Community Initiatives and Skateparks
Can you tell us about the youth skateboard programs and the development of skateparks in South Africa?
Charl [Jensel], yeah. So Charl is one of my closest friends, he and someone else started Indigo Youth Movement, and they’re a movement that uplifts skateboarding throughout South Africa. They would go into townships where there wouldn’t even be a road, and they’d build a sick-ass halfpipe and a pool. Tony Hawk came down to the one in Durban and sponsored them. I think it’s still running.
Charl would take an old basketball court, that was just like a local gang hangout in a very dangerous area, and build a skatepark. These programs provide safe spaces for kids to skate and offer positive alternatives to gang activity.
Skateboarder at a South African skatepark
How do these programs manage to establish skateparks in challenging environments?
I guess everyone understands that things for the kids are for the future. Anything for the youth is for the future. I think people understand that.
Are there safety concerns at some of these skateparks?
Yeah. There are a few places that are really rough. One of the best skateparks we have is in the roughest area, and it’s just not safe to go there. You have to go there with a squad of so many skaters, otherwise, you’re just gonna get robbed. It’s one of those things that when you get there and you’re skating, other people know skateboards are expensive, so it’s like a commodity, so they’ll just take your skateboard and leave you standing there.
Has the South African government been investing more in public skateparks?
There actually has been a lot of skateparks and developments happening in South Africa for the past maybe five years. What they’re doing is taking empty spaces and just basically putting up a skatepark. When I was growing up, there were two private skateparks, you paid when you came there, have to wear a helmet… But now the government has actually started putting a little bit of budget into it and creating little skateparks.
A newly constructed skatepark in South Africa
Fashion, Style and South African Identity
You own a clothing brand, Leaf Apparel. How do you stay relevant and unique in the fashion industry?
In South Africa, a lot of people are two-job kind of people. To this day I still do a lot of different things like styling for other brands, photography, creative direction. But it takes a lot of time to build something, so I never went into it wanting to make money. For me, it was more like a passion project that turned into a bigger passion project.
What are some current streetwear trends in South Africa?
I would say still Carhartt, a lot of Stussy, a lot of corduroy. I wouldn’t say we’re on par but we’re not far behind, especially in terms of fashion. I think that a long time ago, there would always be this huge gap because of seasonals, so you guys will have a season and we will have a season. Because of that huge gap, we get stuff a lot later than you, and then we follow the trend a lot later. But with today’s age, social media is so strong, you’re seeing exactly what’s happening in Paris Fashion Week, so we catch on quicker. You kind of know exactly what’s popping because you’re seeing your favorite person whether they’re a singer or a dancer or fashion icon wearing a certain thing, so you’re gonna be influenced by that. Back in the day, it would take months for something to come here.
What inspires your designs and how do they reflect South African culture?
Down here we have these parking guards, and if you have to park your car in town, there’ll be so many guys standing around wearing construction vests. If someone’s wearing the construction vest with the reflective orange stripes, it means they’re there to look after your car. When you come back you give them the 20 Rand or 5 Rand or whatever you have, and that’s literally like a culture. You will go to a corner and see Jerome, and two meters down you’ll see Simba. Ten years later you will still see Jerome and Simba, because that’s Jerome’s corner, and that’s Simba’s corner.
That vest symbolizes work, it symbolizes the South African hustle, so I designed something like that because for me it represented South Africa. It wasn’t part of a trend, but more what inspired me when I thought of our country.
Salik Harris wearing a Leaf Apparel design
Hopes for the Future
What are your aspirations for the future of skateboarding in South Africa?
I want it to look like a serious sport, and I want the people who have been putting in the work to actually reap the benefits, the equivalent of other sportsmen. ‘Cause if you think of the risk to reward ratio, it’s mad fucked up. Such a risky sport and then you don’t get paid on top of it.
When I was younger, I got a lot of free stuff from skate shops kind of flowing me, and it made me feel a sense of belonging. I also want to be that type of figure for other kids. I’d hope to be in a situation where I can help all the people I want to help, in terms of my friends. If they skate, they should be earning lots of money. I wanna be in a situation where I could be like, here’s a salary. ‘Cause no one else is doing that.
