Why Capetonians may well have relatives on the Island of St Helena 12 May 2021 11:33 AM Share This: There is a historical relationship between South Africa and the Island of St. Helena, says academic and filmmaker Damian Samuels. Lester Kiewit talks to Damian Samuels, a filmmaker and a Ph.D. candidate in Visual History. Samuels says he assumed that having relatives from the island was a unique aspect of his heritage, but as he dug deeper, he came to know that many Capetonians share this same story? He explains the historical relationship between the island and South Africa. His research traces history to the slaves from St Helena island and Cape Town.