Distrik is the Afrikaans word for District, an unusual name to some perhaps but it holds a significant meaning to company director Albert van der Westhuizen.

District Six is a former inner-city residential area in Cape Town, South Africa. Over 60,000 of its inhabitants were forcibly removed during the 1970s by the apartheid regime. 

On the 11th of February 1966, the government declared District Six a whites-only area under the Group Areas Act, with removals starting in 1968. By 1982, more than 60,000 people had been relocated to the sandy, bleak Cape Flats township complex some 25 kilometres away. The old houses were bulldozed. The only buildings left standing were places of worship. Since the fall of apartheid in 1994, the South African government has recognized the older claims of former residents to the area, and pledged to support rebuilding.

I grew up during this time and in the late 90’s went to university in this area. I loved the diversity, artistic and creative mindset of the people who I met in the area and chose the Distrikt Six name to remind me of my roots and where this journey began. I also learned early on that you had to accept all kinds of people, be true to yourself and love with an open heart to become a rainbow nation. We wanted to be different so we’ve mixed both languages and came up with ‘Distrikt Six’ to showcase diversity and uniqueness.