South Africa: Why Tupac Lives On in Cape Town 30 Years After He Was Murdered

What the report says

The Conversation Africa published an analysis on 1 September 2026 examining why Tupac Shakur still resonates in Cape Town three decades after his death. The piece, written by criminologist and researcher Dariusz Dziewanski, draws on five years of ethnographic research in the Cape Flats, an area shaped by poverty, insecurity and gang activity.

According to the article, Tupac’s image and music continue to circulate widely across parts of Africa, including South African townships, where his face appears on T-shirts and murals. In Cape Town, the report says, marginalised young people use his work as a source of dignity, toughness and identity. Some are drawn to his gangsta-rap persona and its links to status, protection and street power, while others connect with his more reflective songs about hardship, racism, family and change.

The article highlights interviews with people using Tupac’s legacy in different ways. It describes one woman who adopted his name as a teenager after leaving an abusive home and later joined a gang, as well as another who related his story of struggle and recovery to her own path out of addiction. It also tells of a former gang member who said Tupac’s music helped inspire him to leave gangs and pursue hip-hop.

Overall, the analysis argues that Tupac remains a flexible symbol in Cape Town: for some, a street outlaw; for others, a prophet-like figure or model of resilience. The article says this lasting appeal reflects broader experiences of racism, violence and social exclusion in the Cape Flats.