Apartheid Museum

Johannesburg, Gauteng

Museums

The Apartheid Museum is the story of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity and oppression. Beginning in 1948, the white elected National Party government initiated a process that turned more than 20 million people into 2nd class citizens, damning them to a life of servitude, humiliation and abuse. Their liberation in 1994 was the climax of a nation’s resistance, courage and fortitude.

The path through the museum leads you on a journey beginning with segregation, the cornerstone of apartheid. It takes you back through the history of the myriad cultures converging during the pre-apartheid era, through the years of race classification, the 150 acts of apartheid, detentions and the oppression of the nationalist regime. You will examine the rise of black consciousness and the armed struggle, and finally witness the release of Nelson Mandela after 27 years of imprisonment which led to the negotiations for peace.

The Museum has been conceptualised by a multi-disciplinary team of curators, film-makers, historians and designers. An architectural consortium has created a powerful landmark and a unique example of design, space and landscape, offering a specific South African experience. A series of individual exhibition areas take the visitor through a dramatic emotional journey that tells the story of a statesanctioned system based solely on racial discrimination.

Visitors will come away exhilarated by the story of the triumph of reason which crowned half a century of struggle. For anyone wanting to understand and experience what apartheid South Africa was really like, a visit to the Apartheid Museum is fundamental. The Museum shows how South Africa is coming to terms with the past and working towards a shared future.
Apartheid is exactly where it belongs - in a museum.

Guided tours (15 pax or more) must be booked in advance and an additional charge applies

Entrance: Entry fee applicable