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SSouth Africa's museums bear testimony to the country’s tumultuous history — bearing tales of the horrors of apartheid, housing the indelible stains it left on society and standing steady as reminders of a past that will always be present in hearts and minds. However, they also reflect a country, rich in diversity and culture, rich in pride in its people, a country moving out of darkness … into the light.
The following museums give visitors a glimpse into our country’s intricate cultural, political and social dynamics:
Apartheid Museum
The Apartheid Museum, the first of its kind, illustrates the rise and fall of Apartheid: the racially prejudiced system that blighted much of its progress and the triumph of reason which crowned half a century of struggle. The museum has been assembled and organised by a multidisciplinary team of curators, film-makers, historians and designers. Just 15 minutes from OR Tambo International Airport or 20 minutes from Sandton (the business centre of South Africa), discover the true history of South Africa.
Did You Know?
TThe Apartheid Museum has permanent and temporary exhibits put together by a team of designers, historians, curators and film-makers.
IIziko South African National Gallery
Situated in the Company’s Garden in Cape Town’s city centre is South Africa’s premier art museum. This exceptional collection of South African, African and Western European art grew from an initial bequest by Thomas Butterworth Bayley in 1871. The Iziko South African National Gallery represents works from a range of both established and upcoming South African artists, covering various forms of artistic expression and art periods. This is a must-see destination for all visitors to the Mother City interested in art and culture.
DDitsong National Museum of Cultural History
Located in Pretoria’s CBD, the National Museum of Cultural History serves as a tribute to the rich culture that exists on South Africa’s shores. From treasures of the Iron Age, to the admirable arts of the Nguni, Tswana and Sotho tribes and the rise of Black Consciousness in South Africa during the apartheid era, the National Museum serves as a shrine to the country’s multi-cultural identity.
Constitution Hill
Constitution Hill in Johannesburg documents South Africa’s journey to democracy. This used to be a prison and military fort but now hosts the country’s Constitutional Court, which endorses the rights of all citizens. A tour guide escorts visitors from the Old Fort, to the Women’s Jail and Number Four (built to house black prisoners), and eventually to the court house.
Castle of Good Hope
A Cape Town landmark, the Castle of Good Hope, is a prime example of a “star fort”. Built between 1666 and 1679 by the Dutch East India Company, it’s the oldest existing colonial building in South Africa. Its position marks the original shoreline before years of land reclamation changed the Table Bay coastline.
On a visit to the Castle today you can expect to pay R28 entry for adults, and R12 for children under the age of 16. You can even see a blacksmith in action – just as he would have operated during the 17th and 18th centuries when castles housed their own forges.
Paul Kruger Museum
This modest and informative house museum in downtown Pretoria outlines the life and times of the 19th-century Afrikaans leader and Transvaal President Paul Kruger.
The bungalow-style home was built for the large Kruger family in 1884 by English-speaking architect Charles Clark, who, legend has it, used to mix his cement with milk rather than water. The long veranda in front of the house is its most famous feature and it is said that the president loved nothing more than to spend time here chatting to passers-by.
Inside the house, period furniture and personal items show how the Kruger family lived in a style that was for the time extremely modern. The house was one of the very first in the city to have electricity and a telephone connection, while the bathrooms also made use of the latest technologies available at the time.
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