Museums that tell the story of South Africa

1.The Apartheid Museum
En-route to Soweto, this museum is often combined with a day spent in the sprawling township providing a fitting introduction to its past. “The brilliance of the Apartheid Museum is that it presents the historical system which dominated South Africa in the 20th century in clear, graphic and sometimes chilling terms. The experience is made powerful and comprehensible through tremendous thought to the discreet elements which make up the exhibitions, which despite their often horrific content are always clean, clear and audible.”

2.‘Liberation Struggle’ museums 
The establishment of the Constitutional Court on the site of a former prison gave rise to Constitution Hill. Filled with symbolism of freedom and transparency, the site offers tours of buildings that once held heroes of the struggle captive, and now house the court that ensures human rights for all. Liliesleaf, the underground safe-house of ANC activists in the 1960s, was the site of a police raid in 1964 that resulted in the Rivonia Trial, which saw Mandela sentenced to life.
The Hector Pieterson Memorial and Museum in Soweto highlights the 1976 uprising of students, and is named for the first youngster to be killed in the tragedy.  Also in the township, the one-time Orlando West residence of the Mandela family, the matchbox-size Mandela House, is a popular stop which displays much Mandela memorabilia.

3. Interpretation Centre Complex, Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site
“The theme of human development is very attractive because people see it as their own history which interests them more than anything else. Our storyline is the biography of humanity looked at in large. Homo naledi [a recent fossil discovery] was a catalyst for huge renewed interest in the shared origins of humanity in Africa.”

4. SAB World of Beer
A museum to the process of beer making, as well as a conference venue, this facility is operated by South African Breweries.  It was voted South Africa’s top tourist attraction in 2009 and 2011, says General Manager, Tony Rubin, and is currently rated second most popular Johannesburg museum on TripAdvisor.

“As a business, World of Beer is evolving all the time,” states Rubin. “In the past 12 months we have improved our offering by doing beer tasting packages, food and beer pairing lunches, Halloween tours, Valentine’s Day packages, rugby packages in partnership with sports marketing companies, Saint Patrick’s Day promotions, a new and improved Tap Room menu, team building packages, the list goes on.”

5. Voortrekker Monument
“The fact that the monument and museum represents and communicates a specific period is part of its DNA. This DNA tells a particular story. Most museums in the country have transformed their displays to include our post-1994 history, despite their themes, which often confuses foreigners who are not familiar with the detail of our country’s transformation.”

Paulsen points out that the facility is the only Afrikaans monument to have been awarded Grade 1 National Heritage Site status post-1994.  It is one of but a few remaining examples of Art Deco architecture, houses what is believed to be one of the longest marble friezes in the world as well as one of the six largest historical tapestries in Africa.

6. Ditsong Museum of Natural History
Visitors to this museum, which records 50 000 visitors a year, will notice some of its star attractions in the grounds – namely the skeleton of a whale fin and dinosaur models. Its human evolution display is a favourite for international visitors, who also take advantage of a behind-the-scenes tour of the Broom Room, named after Dr Robert Broom who discovered Mrs Ples. The room houses many of the most important fossils of early hominids in the world. The Austin Roberts bird hall is also popular, displaying over 870 Southern African bird species.The museum is located in central Pretoria, two blocks away from the Gautrain and Metrorail train station.