Dr Bongani Ndhlovu, Acting CEO of Iziko Museums, Acting CEO Iziko SA Museum, reflects on South African Museum’s 200th year celebration, the journey to arrive at this point and a look into the future – on this edition of the Sanlam Arts Round Up.
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Bongani looks at the Museum’s 200years of collections, research, education and public engagement. On 13 March, the South African Museum launched the ISAM200 Project to attempt to reflect on the past 200years. It invites people of South Africa and people in the Western Cape to come and enjoy their heritage in the museum spaces and also to give input.
The museum welcomes visitors and researchers in the Natural History environment. An example is the display of the quagga which is now extinct. Also an display is the oldest buffalo horn.
Older exhibitions include the African Dinosaur. The new sea exhibition – Sentinels of the South. In the area of Social History, the way SAM has collected human stories and how are these stories shown and seeing the space taking shape.
The Art of Science is a new exhibition that reflects on its collection of science and art.
Not only is this a reflection on the past 200 years of collecting about the South African story. How has the SAM affected museum making in this country and been influenced by museums around the world.
Now it is looking into the future and about seeing things differently. This is a conscious focus – how does the museum see itself in the time pf the 4th Industrial Revolution. We can alreay see the influence in the new technologies in the Planetarium.
The South African Museum is seeing itself in the global context and how researchers and museums need to be able to engage with each other’s content. As a learning institution, the museum must become one that can be interactive and enjoyed by everyone. 
- Exciting times ahead! And we are grateful that Iziko South African Museum is a valuable and venerable institution, with wide open doors in Cape Town. Happy 200th and many, many more.
WHAT: ISAM200 – Iziko South African Museum (ISAM) turns 200
WHERE: Iziko South African Museum,
WHEN: 2025
INFO: VISIT | Facebook | Instagram @izikomuseumssa) | X @Iziko_Museums | See also ISAM200 – Iziko South African Museum (ISAM) turns 200 years old! | Cape Town Green Map
IZIKO SOUTH AFRICAN MUSEUM [B]
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