To find out. We spent some time with a band from a township on the Cape Flats.
“Dla”, Driemanskap band member:
I go by the name of “uDla”, Dlamundu Desmond Manqundu Igam. I go thename of “DlaX!” the last born, representing Driemanskap.

“Ma-B”, Driemanskap band member:
Cool, Ma-B, from Gugs 7750, Cape Town, peace-up, Driemanskap.

“Redondo”, Driemanskap band member:
I’m Bukhulubaki Nombetcheni and I go by the name Redondo, the MC. I was born to Nthombi Agwompondo, Gugulethi standup, Driemanskap is in the building.

“El Nino”, Driemanskap band member, saying:
My real name is Elethu, surname Bengesi, I’m from the clan Mtambo Novetcho Nyatelingathelinga Nkwasinlungu, but my alias is El Nino, I’m the founding member of the crew.

“I will make it” excerpt.
Driemanskap has strong connections with the rural Eastern Cape, where Nelson Mandela was born. They rap mostly in Xhosa, the language Mandela grew up with.

But it’s the townships that connect Mandela and Driemanskap more directly.
The band’s Afrikaans name reflects the culture of South Africa’s townships.
“El Nino”, Driemanskap Band Member:
There’s what we call in South Africa the Totsi language. Totsi is the word that means a thug. Not only a thug, it is a mix of the different vernacular that in South Africa with the Afrikaans, we were living in the Apartheid system and Afrikaans was the only medium of communication.

So “Driemanskap”, is Totsi, it’s a mixture of Afrikaans and Xhosa. Because I would say to you “ek se”. That’s Afrikaans, but like if you go to Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Soweto, like that person will actually relate immediately because it’s a mix.

And though the band’s name means crew of three, it’s a lot more than that.
“Ma-B”, Driemanskap band member, saying:
By the time “Dla” joined, the name was already out there. So we couldn’t change it, you know what I mean. So we kept the name even though there were four members. So we grew from being just the four members of the crew now to a family. Anyone who does anything positive to support the group becomes part of the family.

The band members are previewing their latest music video at a small production facility in central Cape Town.

Regarded as an underground band and initially ignored by the mainstream media, their loyal following has grown and their singles now get play on national radio.

The band’s form of Hip Hop expresses both the frustrations and aspirations of their township community.

And emphasizes the close connection between the township, the countryside and the outside world.