The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture (DSAC) is mandated to provide leadership to the sport, arts and culture sector to accelerate its transformation; oversee the development and management of sport, arts and culture in South Africa; legislate on sports participation, sports infrastructure and safety; improve South Africa’s international ranking in selected sports through a partnership with the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC); preserve, develop, protect and promote the cultural, heritage, linguistic diversity and legacy of South Africa; lead nation-building and social cohesion through social transformation; enhance archives and records management structures and systems; and promote access to information.
In its efforts to enable transformed, capable and professional sport, arts and culture sectors, over the medium term, the department planned to focus on promoting and protecting heritage; creating job opportunities in the cultural and creative sector; and providing integrated and accessible sport infrastructure and events.
Over the medium term, the department aimed to continue developing, transforming, preserving, protecting and promoting sport, arts, and culture at all levels of participation to foster an active, winning, creative and socially cohesive nation.
In support of this, over the period ahead, the department aimed to focus on creating job opportunities to contribute to economic growth, promoting social cohesion and facilitating nation building, developing and promoting sport and recreation, transforming and building capacity in the arts and culture sector, and
building and maintaining heritage assets.
In addition to their role in instilling social and cultural values and fostering a national identity among South Africans, the cultural and creative industries have the potential to contribute to economic growth, employment and international trade.
The Mzansi Golden Economy (MGE) Programme seeks to unlock this potential by facilitating the creation of job opportunities in the arts, culture and heritage sector by supporting interventions designed to develop audiences, stimulate demand, increase market access and develop skills.
The MGE funds community arts development programmes, incubators, other skills development initiatives, national and provincial flagships, and 270 projects in the creative sector. It has the potential to create 36 000 job opportunities in the cultural and creative industry.
Over 1 020 artists were expected to be placed in schools over the next three years with the aim of developing and improving art practitioners’ pedagogical capabilities and skills to collaborate with educators in schools and other learning centres, and communicate and interact more effectively with learners.
The DSAC implements the national social cohesion strategy and brings into the mainstream targeted groups in arts, culture and heritage, including arts and culture in schools. It is also responsible for the coordination of its commitment to Priority 6 (social cohesion and safer communities) of government’s 2019‐2024 Medium Term Strategic Framework (MTSF).
The department plays a crucial role in executing this commitment through various projects, which over the medium term include promoting South African national symbols, especially the national flag, through public awareness activations around the #IAmTheFlag campaign and the national anthem.
These projects will be complemented by community dialogue platforms to encourage active citizen participation. The department also planned to implement 20 annual advocacy platforms on social cohesion over the medium-term period.
Sport has the potential to bring together diverse groups and create a socially cohesive society with a common national identity. In recognition of this, the department will be channelling funds to promote mass participation and sport development for programmes such as Move for Health, the national indigenous games festival, the Big Walk, National Recreation Day, national youth camps and various outreach programmes.
The department aimed to encourage the development of young people through sport and enable them to showcase their skills at events such as the national school sport championship.
In support of Priority 3 (education, skills and health) of government’s 2019‐2024 MTSF, the department is committed to upskilling and transforming the arts and culture sector.
This mainly involves building capacity through bursaries, placements and incubator programmes, including the design focus programme, the national craft incubator, the emerging creatives programme, the Eersterust visual arts incubator, the women writers’ programme, the creative and technology hub, and incubator programmes at each of the department’s performing arts institutions.
Funds have been allocated to provide financial support to 66 capacity-building projects in the cultural and creative sector, and to award language bursaries to 750 qualifying students.
The maintenance of heritage assets such as libraries and heritage sites is vital for the ongoing imperative of promoting, sustaining and enriching a national identity. To expand access to knowledge and information, the department planned to build 105 libraries and upgrade 150 community libraries over the medium-term period. Monuments, memorials and museums serve as important heritage assets that preserve legacies and pay homage to people and events that have shaped South African society and form part of the nation building and social cohesion agenda.
Funds have been allocated over the medium term for projects such as finalising the Sarah Baartman Centre of Remembrance and the OR Tambo Garden of Remembrance, and maintaining the Samora Machel Memorial Museum and Iziko Museums.
Boxing South Africa (BSA)
BSA was established in terms of the Boxing Act of 2001, which mandates the entity to: administer professional boxing; recognise amateur boxing; create and ensure synergy between professional and amateur boxing; and promote engagement and interaction between associations of boxers, managers, promoters and trainers.
Over the medium term, the entity planned to continue focusing on contributing to nation building, healthy lifestyles and social cohesion by promoting participation in boxing, especially among young people and women; strengthening the boxing regulatory environment; and ensuring the effective administration of the sport.
Netball South Africa (NSA)
The NSA is the peak governing body for the sport of netball in South Africa, which is responsible for overseeing the practice of the sport across the country. Additionally, the NSA is the managing body for the National Netball Team – the Spar Proteas. Since 1992, South Africa has participated in international tournaments primarily within the Commonwealth nations.
With a strong grassroots network in schools and universities, netball in South Africa has taken on a more professional position with the introduction of the Telkom Netball League, and with many of the players plying their trade in England, Australia and New Zealand leagues. The NSA hosted the Netball World Cup in Cape Town from 28 July to 6 August 2023, which was the first to be held in Africa.
Sixteen nations contested for the title, which was won by undisputed champions of world netball, Australia, after beating England 61-45 to claim their 12th crown.
Tennis South Africa (TSA)
The TSA is the national governing body for the sport of tennis in South Africa created to standardise rules and regulations and to promote and develop the growth of tennis in South Africa. The not-for-profit organisation invests its proceeds to promote and develop the growth of tennis, from the grass-roots to the professional levels, and to raise funds for and on behalf of tennis players and the game of tennis within South Africa. The TSA is affiliated to both the International Tennis Federation and Confederation of African Tennis.
GolfRSA
GolfRSA is the unified body of the South African Golf Association and Women’s Golf South Africa, administering, operating and providing service to amateur golf in South Africa.
GolfRSA’s role is to look after the interests of more than 460 golf clubs and 139 000 men, women, boy and girl club members, produce champion golfers and provide the opportunity for everyone in South Africa to experience the game of golf.
South African Institute for Drug-Free Sport (SAIDS)
The SAIDS promotes participation in sport without the use of prohibited performance enhancing substances and methods, and educates sportspeople on fair play and the harmful effects of the use of prohibited performance enhancing substances and methods. The SAIDS’s core focus is to tackle doping in sport in order to ensure a culture of ethics and fair play within South Africa.
South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee
SASCOC is the national multi-coded sporting body responsible for the preparation, presentation and performance of teams to all multi-coded events, namely the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Commonwealth Games, World Games, All Africa Games, Olympic Youth Games, Commonwealth Youth Games and Zone VI Games.
It also looks after the various national federations affiliated to it, together with the various provincial sports councils. SASCOC is responsible for the awarding for National Protea Colours to athletes/officials who have met the criteria to represent South Africa in different sporting codes and arenas.
South Africa is also represented on the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa and on the Confederation of Southern African National Olympic Committees.
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)
The WADA was established in 1999 as an international independent agency composed and funded equally by the sport movement and governments of the world. Its key activities include scientific research, education, development of antidoping capacities and monitoring of the World Anti-Doping Code – the document harmonising anti-doping policies in all sports and all countries.
The Anti-Doping Education and Learning Platform (ADEL) is the central hub for WADA’s eLearning courses and education resources. ADEL supports the anti-doping community by providing training solutions for athletes, their support personnel and other stakeholders.
The Anti-Doping Administration and Management System is a digital tool thatsimplifies the daily activities of all stakeholders and athletes involved in the anti-doping system.
Athletics South Africa (ASA)
ASA, which reports to the SASCOC, is the national governing body for the sport of athletics in South Africa that is recognised by World Athletics and is also a member of Confederation of African Athletics.
Mind Sports South Africa (MSSA)
The MSSA is a non-profit association recognised as the national controlling body for mind sports in South Africa. It is affiliated to the International eSports Federation, Federation de Jeau du Mondiale, and the International Wargames Federation. Due to its membership of such international bodies, the MSSA is the sole authority for the games that it caters for in terms of the Sport and Recreation Act of 1998 (as amended).
The MSSA is responsible for the good governance and promotion of historical figure games (also known as wargames), board games (such as Diplomacy, Checkers, Draughts, Morabaraba, Sport Stacking, etc), card gaming, robotics, and eSports (whether they are played on ‘cell phones, Sony® PSP’s, personal computers or similar).
Big Walk
The Big Walk is staged on the first Sunday of October to encourage participation in physical activity. The annual Big Walk takes place in October. It is aligned with The Association for International Sport for All World Walking Day, which encourages and lobbies countries to walk by creating advocacy and awareness
during October.
Annual National Recreation Day
Although not a public holiday, the day provides an opportunity to all South Africans to be actively involved by participating in recreation activities that will improve their health and wellbeing.
National Indigenous Games
The National Indigenous Games festival forms part of South Africa’s annual heritage celebrations and brings people from culturally diverse backgrounds together. The popularity of the festival in recent years has contributed to an increase in the number of active participants in sport and recreation events.
The games played included khokho, intonga, ncuva, morabaraba, diketo, drie stokkies, kgati, dibeke and juskei, all of which are indigenous to South Africa.
Sporting codes
Major sporting codes in South Africa include: Athletics; Biking; Mountain Biking; Cycling; Boxing; Cricket; Canoeing; Rowing; Golf; Hockey; Ice Hockey; Motorsport; Flying; Netball; Rugby; Running (including South Africa’s two world-renowned ultra-marathons – the Comrades Marathon in KwaZulu-Natal and the Two Oceans Marathon in the Western Cape); Soccer; Surfing; Sailing; Swimming; Tennis and Chess.
Services rendered by the DSAC
Some of the services rendered by the department include the:
National Archives, which makes archival material available to the public. Although actual access to archival documentation is free of charge, the public is charged for the reproduction of material for further use, either on film or paper. Publications are also sold, and the public is charged for the transfer of data by magnetic means.
Video and Sound Archives which collects, preserves and provides access to audio-visual records created both by government and private bodies or individuals.
Bureau for Heraldry, which registers the heraldic representations, names, special names and uniforms of individuals, associations and institutions. It also renders advice on heraldic and related matters and provides financial assistance to institutions, boards, committees or other public bodies or persons in order to promote the functional objectives of the Bureau of Heraldry.
National Language Service, which provides a translating and editing service to all government departments. It also provides policy development support relating to official language development, particularly related to the Use of Official Languages Act of 2012.
Promoting and preserving heritage infrastructure
The department’s infrastructure development initiatives aim to achieve redress for South Africa’s historical imbalances and contribute to social transformation by establishing and maintaining world-class heritage sites to boost tourism and create job opportunities, particularly in historically disadvantaged areas.
Community library services
In addition to building and upgrading libraries, the department, in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the DSAC also plans to build 70 dual library service points to support school curricula and enhance learning outcomes.
Cultural and creative industries
The MGE seeks to create economic and job opportunities in the arts, culture and heritage sector by supporting programmes designed to develop audiences, stimulate demand, increase market access, and develop skills.
New names of towns
The names of towns that have been changed in the post-democratic dispensation include the following:
Limpopo: Bela-Bela (Warmbaths); Lephalale (Ellisras); Modimolle (Nylstroom); Mokopane (Potgietersrus); Musina (Messina); Polokwane (Pietersburg); Senwabarana (Bochum); Mogwadi (Dendron); Morebeng (Soekmekaar); Modjadjiskloof (Duiwelskloof) and Mookgophong (Naboomspruit). Mpumalanga: eMalahleni (Witbank); eManzana (Badplaas); KwaDukuza (Stanger); Mashishing (Lydenburg); Makhazeni (Belfast); Emgwenya (Waterval Boven); eNtokozweni (Machadodorp); Mbombela; (Nelspruit); eMkhondo (Piet Retief) and Thuli Fakude (Leandra). Free State: Mamafubedu (Petrus Steyn), Hlohlolwane (Clocolan) and Intabazwe (Harrismith). Eastern Cape: Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth); James Calata (Jamestown); Maletswai (Aliwal North); Cacadu (Lady Frere); Komani (Queenstown); Khowa (Elliot); KwaBhaca (Mount Frere); MaXesibeni (Mount Ayliff); Dikeni (Alice) and Makhanda (Grahamstown). KwaZulu-Natal: eMthonjaneni (Melmoth) and KwaDukuza (Stanger). Gauteng: Sophiatown (Triomf). Western Cape: Bo-Kaap (Schotchekloof).
New names of airports
King Phalo Airport (East London Airport). Mthatha Airport (KD Matanzima Airport). Chief Dawid Stuurman International Airport (Port Elizabeth International Airport).
Some of the remarkable awards through which South Africa celebrates excellence in arts and culture include:
National Art Bank of South Africa (NABSA)
The NABSA is a national programme of the then DAC, as part of the MGE Strategy implementation. The vision of the NABSA is to promote, foster and stimulate a vibrant market for the collection of South African contemporary visual art.
It is tasked with purchasing artworks from South African artists, particularly that of emerging artists in order to lease and sell the artworks to South African Government departments, private companies and private individuals.
Young Patriots Programme
The Young Patriots Programme was launched in 2016 to encourage young actively in building the capacity of the arts, culture and heritage sector, and gain meaningful skills through service delivery improvement and moral regeneration initiatives, and the youth social cohesion advocates programme.
National heritage
As part of efforts in recognising the work of South Africa’s Living Human Treasures, the department has produced two books on women artists who have made a unique contribution to the living heritage. The first two books are about Noria Mabasa, a world-renowned (ceramic and wood) sculptor from Tshino Village in the Vuwani area in Limpopo and Esther Mahlangu, world-famous for her largescale paintings referencing her Ndebele heritage.
Languages
South Africa is a multilingual country. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996 guarantees equal status to 11 official languages to cater for its diverse people and their cultures. These are English, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Afrikaans, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, Siswati, Tshivenda and Xitsonga.
Other languages used in South Africa include the Khoi, Nama and San languages, Sign Language, Arabic, German, Greek, Gujarati, Hebrew, Hindi, French, Portuguese, Sanskrit, Tamil, Shona, Telegu and Urdu. South Africa has various structures and institutions that support the preservation and development of languages.
On 19 July 2023, President Cyril Ramaphosa signed into law the South African Sign Language (SASL) Bill during a ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. On 2 May 2023, the National Assembly approved that Section 6 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996 be amended to include the SASL as the 12th official language to promote the rights of persons who are deaf and hard of hearing.
The SASL is an indigenous language that constitutes an important element of South African linguistic and cultural heritage. It has its own distinct grammatical structures and lexicon and it is independent of any other language.
The new legislation seeks to:
South Africa became the fourth country on the African continent to recognise sign language as an official language. Other African countries are Kenya, Zimbabwe and Uganda.
Arts and culture organisations
Some of the organisations which are playing an active role in upholding the mandate of the DSAC include the following:
Festivals
Some of the different arts and cultural festivals in South Africa include the following:
Other festivals that attract both national and international visitors are: Innibos in Nelspruit, Mpumalanga; Taung Cultural Calabash in North West; the Awesome Africa Music Festival in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal; the Windybrow Theatre Festival in Johannesburg; Hilton Arts Festival in KwaZulu-Natal, and the One City Many Cultures in Cape Town, Western Cape.
Cultural festivals, African-cuisine projects, cultural villages, heritage routes and storytelling are areas that benefit from South Africa’s booming tourism industry. Many cultural villages have been established throughout South Africa to reflect the different cultures and traditions of the country’s people.
Initiated by the DSAC through the MGE Strategy of 2011, the South African Cultural Observatory (SACO) is a statistical and socio-economic research project, launched in 2014, which charts the socio-economic impact of the arts, culture and heritage sectors and the cultural and creative industries in South Africa.
The SACO supports the collection and analysis of data, influences policy, shares insights and builds on the intellectual capacity gained across the arts, culture and heritage sectors. It works across the breadth of all cultural domains, including the arts, heritage, tourism, museums, libraries, archives and creative industries.
Theatre
There are over 100 active venues across the country offering everything from indigenous drama, music, dance, cabaret and satire to classical opera and ballet.
Performing arts
Performing arts institutions are schedule 3A public entities established in terms of the Cultural Institutions Act of 1998. They are mandated to advance, promote and preserve the performing arts in South Africa; enhance the contribution of arts and culture to the economy; and create job opportunities and initiatives that
further nation-building.
The following arts institutions receive annual transfers from the DSAC: Artscape (Cape Town); The Playhouse Company (Durban); The Market Theatre (Johannesburg); Performing Arts Centre of the Free State (Bloemfontein); and the South African State Theatre, (Pretoria).
Music is one of the key cultural industries identified in the Cultural Industrial Growth Strategy Report and government has committed itself to harnessing its potential. In addition to its cultural value, music plays an important economic role in the country, generating significant copyright revenue. In this industry, the department has solid foundations on which to build.
These include the annual South African Music Week, the in-school education programme run in conjunction with the DBE, and the Moshito Music Conference and Exhibition. The Taking South African Music to the World Programme is aimed at improving export opportunities for South African music.
Government funds a number of musical ensembles directly and indirectly, through the NAC. South Africa is the 25th largest market for recorded music, with the industry employing more than 20 000 people. Local music accounts for a third of all the music bought by South Africans.
Township jazz and blues, especially the kwêla music of the 40s and 50s, are being redefined; the country also has a rich choral tradition, and pop and rock musicians have made their mark internationally.
Even techno-rave and house music have found their own variations in local culture. Kwaito and hip-hop are very popular, combining elements of rap, reggae and other musical styles into a distinctly South African style. Kwaai Jazz is also gaining momentum.
South African Music Awards
The Recording Industry of South Africa announced the full list of winners of the SAMAs at the SunBet Arena in Pretoria on 18 November. The winners were:
South African Traditional Music Achievement Awards
The 18th SATMA Awards, which featured 27 categories, took place at the DCC Jesus Dome in Durban on 15 December 2023. The winners were:
Orchestras
The NAC is responsible for funding the KwaZulu-Natal, Cape and Gauteng orchestras as well as the Cape Town Jazz Orchestra.
Dance
Dancing is part of the African way of life and has become a prime means of artistic expression, with dance companies expanding and exploring new territory. Contemporary work ranges from normal preconceptions of movement and performance art or performance theatre to the completely unconventional.
The DSAC’s Breathing New Vision into Theatre and Dance in South Africa, a National Theatre and Dance Policy aims to nurture and celebrate theatre and dance, embracing and celebrating the diversity of theatre and dance forms in South Africa. The policy builds on a number of proposals that have been made by civil society and other organisations and institutions over the last decade.
Visual arts
South Africa has a rich variety of visual art, with influences ranging from prehistoric, ancient and indigenous art to western, Asian and contemporary art. Art galleries, ranging from small privately owned commercial galleries, to major regional galleries such as the South African National Gallery in Cape Town, the Durban Art Gallery in KwaZulu-Natal, the Johannesburg Art Gallery in Gauteng and King George VI Gallery in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape, showcase collections of indigenous, historical and contemporary works.
Rock art
There are many traces of ancient cultures that existed in southern Africa in the distant past. Experts estimate that there are 250 000 rock-art sites south of the Zambezi.
The San people left a priceless and unique collection of Stone Age paintings and engravings in the region, which also represents the largest collection of its kind in the world.
Photography
With its scenic beauty, abundant wildlife, diversity of cultures and rich historical heritage, South Africa is a photographer’s paradise. Many South African photographers have been acclaimed for their work, which features in coffee-table books, documentaries, local and overseas exhibitions, magazines and newspapers.
Architecture
South Africa has a rich architectural heritage, reflecting contributions from all the cultural groups in the country. Through the centuries, a unique trend has developed in South Africa’s architectural style, which has been referred to as an innovative marriage of traditions.
This is evident in the variety of architectural structures found all over the country, ranging from humble dwellings, historical homesteads and public buildings, to modern, commercial buildings reflecting state-of-the-art technology and designs that match the best in the world.
Crafts
South African beadwork, once the insignia of tribal royalty alone, has found a huge range of applications, from the creation of coverings for everything from bottles to matchboxes. With workplaces ranging from the pavements and markets of the big cities to dwellings in deep rural areas, South Africans produce a remarkable range of arts and crafts, including various forms of traditional artwork and innovative new products.
These range from jewellery, tableware, home decorations, embroidery and key rings to skilfully crafted wooden engravings and wirework sculptures. In addition to the standard materials such as beads, grass, leather, fabric and clay, many other mediums are also used, including telephone wire, plastic bags, empty cans, bottle tops and even food tin labels, to create brightly coloured paper mâché bowls. Shops, markets and collectors dealing in African crafts provide much-needed employment and income to communities.
South Africa has a rich and diverse literary history, and the local literature sector has become globally competitive and the country’s writers continue to command respect throughout the world. South Africa commemorates the annual National Book Week (NBW) in September. It is an initiative of the South African Book Development Council, in collaboration with the DSAC.
South African Literary Awards (SALA)
The SALA honoured 34 South Africa’s authors, 25 winners and nine runners-up, at the 18th SALA held on the 32nd International African Writers’ Day, 7th November 2023, Snowflake Venue, Potchefstroom, JB Marks Local Municipality in North West.
Children’s Literature Award
1. Claudette Browne Storrar – Nelly and Sam Thwala.
2. Molebatsi Bosilong – Montsane le Motho.
3. Philip de Vos – Tokkelossiebossie en ander dol gedoentes.
4. Sinathi Mpukwana – Unakho.
Youth Literature Award
1. Onke Mazibuko – The Second Verse.
2. Mihlali Blackie – Ukuzazi Ukuzithemba Nokuzamkela.
3. Kobate John Sekele – Makgoma a Dihlong.
4. Annelie Ferreira – Dit het alles begin met ‘n hond.
First Time Pulished Author Award
1. Shevlyn Mottai – Across the Kala Pani.
2. Ntloro Charlotte Pebane – Lerato La Lepheko.
3. Ayanda Chris Mntwapi – Bohlulwe Kukusa.
K. Sello Duiker Memorial Literary Award
1. Dimakatso David Mokwena – Here Comes the Gay King.
Poetry Award
1. Michèle Betty – Dark Horse.
2. Anelisa Thengimfene – Amajingiqhiw’ entlalo.
3. Kaka Mokakale – Tswina ya poko.
Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award
1. Terry-Ann Adams – White Chalk.
Creative Non-Fiction Literary Award
1. Mandla J. Radebe – The Lost Prince of the ANC: The Life and Times of Jabulani Nobleman ‘Mzala’ Nxumalo.
2. Siphiwo Mahala – Can Themba: The Making and Breaking of the Intellectual Tsotsi, a Biography.
Novel Award
1. Thivhusiwi Tshindane Tshivhula – Hone Hu Tshi Tea U Maliwa Nga vhugai.
2. Kobate John Sekele – Re Hwile La Pitsana.
3. Sue Nyathi – An Angel’s Demise.
Posthumous Literary Award
1. Seetsele Modiri Molema – Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje – Morata Baabo.
Chairperson’s Literary Award
1. Elinor Sisulu – Body of Work.
Lifetime Achievement Literary Award
1. Pitika Ntuli – Body of Work.
2. Diana Ferrus – Body of Work.
Film
The South African Government recognises the significant role played by the film sector in nation-building, promoting social cohesion, reconciliation and supporting economic growth and job creation. Government offers a package of incentives to promote its film production industry.
The Foreign Film and Television Production incentive aims to attract foreign-based film productions to shoot on location in South Africa, and the South African Film and Television Production and Co-production Incentive aims to assist local film producers in producing local content.
The South African Emerging Black Filmmakers incentive, a subprogramme of the South African Film and Television Production and Co-production Incentive, which aims to assist local emerging black filmmakers to nurture and grow them to take up big productions and thus contribute towards employment creation.
The three largest film distributors in South Africa are Ster-Kinekor, United International Pictures and Nu-Metro. Ster-Kinekor has a specialised art circuit, called Cinema Nouveau, with theatres in Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Pretoria.
Film festivals include the Durban International Film Festival; the North West Film Festival; the Apollo Film Festival in Victoria West; the Three Continents Film Festival (specialising in African, South American and Asian films); the Soweto Film Festival; and the Encounters Documentary Festival, which alternates between Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Museums
South Africa has more than 300 museums ranging from museums of geology, history, the biological sciences and the arts, to mining, agriculture, forestry and many other disciplines. The Nelson Mandela Museum in Soweto, Johannesburg had signed a partnership with Google to launch the Google Expedition that would provide a virtual tour of the museum.
The Apartheid Museum opened in 2001 and is acknowledged as the pre-eminent museum in the world dealing with 20th century South Africa, at the heart of which is the apartheid story. The Apartheid Museum, the first of its kind, illustrates the rise and fall of apartheid.
An architectural consortium, comprising several leading architectural firms, conceptualised the design of the building on a seven-hectare stand. The museum is a superb example of design, space and landscape offering the international community a unique South African experience.
National Library of South Africa (NLSA)
The NLSA was established in terms of the NLSA Act of 1998, and contributes to socioeconomic, cultural, educational, scientific and innovation development by collecting, recording, preserving and making available the national documentary heritage, and promoting an awareness and appreciation for it, by fostering information literacy and facilitating access to information resources. The NLSA provides services to community libraries in partnership with provincial library services. These services include ICT support, training in preservation and resource development, the promotion of legal deposit by book publishers in terms of the Legal Deposit Act of 1997, and marketing and exhibition services.
South African Library for the Blind (SALB)
The SALB was established in terms of the South African Library for the Blind Act of 1998, and is mandated to provide a national library and information service to blind and print‐handicapped readers in South Africa. The SALB receives an operational subsidy from the DSAC. It is committed to providing a quality service to meet, as fully as practically possible, the information needs of all South Africans who are blind or print handicapped.
Blind SA
Blind SA, based in Johannesburg, provides services for blind and partially sighted individuals to uplift and empower them by publishing books, magazines and other documents in Braille. It equips blind people with the skills they need to fully and independently participate in society.
This includes support in living without assistance, getting about, using technology, reading, working and socialising. Braille Services of Blind SA is the only producer of Braille in all 11 official languages of South Africa.
Source: Official Guide to South Africa