The University of Cape Town (UCT) Special Collections Library joins the global community in celebrating the 2025 UNESCO World Day for Audiovisual Heritage. This year’s theme, “Your Window to the World,” reflects the power of audiovisual materials to connect people across cultures and generations. Through preservation and access, audiovisual archives open a window into our shared past—capturing the voices, sights, and stories that shape our collective identity.

Since 2005, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has designated October 27 as the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage. This annual celebration aims to raise public awareness about the importance of preserving audiovisual materials—such as film, sound recordings, and video—and to highlight the risks they face from neglect, decay, or technological obsolescence.

This year’s theme aptly underscores the vital role that archives and archivists play in safeguarding these treasures. Audiovisual archives allow us to experience history, culture, and creativity from around the globe, offering an invaluable window into our shared human experience.

Through preservation, archives such as the UCT Special Collections Library help bridge the gap between cultures and generations. By carefully storing and maintaining materials, Special Collections not only safeguards audiovisual resources but also ensures they remain discoverable and shareable, allowing us to remember and engage with the past. In this way, the library continues to promote a deeper understanding of diverse cultural and historical perspectives.

Despite the loss of the DVD collection in the 2021 Jagger Library fire, the Special Collections African Library has successfully preserved part of its audiovisual holdings, particularly VHS tapes, which were part of a broader VHS and DVD collection. Remarkably, only one DVD survived the fire—Patrice Lumumba: Death of the Prophet—simply because it happened to be in the right place at the right time. A total of 874 VHS titles survived the fire, and all have since been digitized to ensure their continued preservation and accessibility.

The film collection was established in the 1980s and quickly became one of the most widely recognized African film collections globally. Initially, the collection focused solely on materials related to South African politics and apartheid for research purposes. Many of these resources were stored discreetly to avoid detection by government agents. Over time, the collection expanded to include over 3,500 African-themed documentaries, films, and television series, reflecting the rich diversity of African audiovisual heritage.

UCT Special Collections Library Tours

The UCT Special Collections Library has also been hosting African Studies library tours for library users and various stakeholders. These tours have welcomed IFLA delegates, UCT library colleagues, researchers, and external visitors, many of whom were regular visitors to the Jagger Library before the fire. The tours aim to provide insights into the progress and recovery of the Special Collections Library, highlighting the challenges faced, solutions implemented, and ongoing efforts to ensure that materials remain accessible. They also outline the losses experienced and showcase the strategies that have allowed the library to recover and continue its mission of preserving and sharing invaluable audiovisual and research materials.

By preserving and providing access to these collections, the UCT Special Collections Library ensures that the voices, stories, and histories captured on film and tape continue to educate, inspire, and connect people across generations. As we celebrate UNESCO’s World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2025, we are reminded of the crucial role archives play in safeguarding our collective memory and opening a window to the world.

UCT Special Collections – Film/VHS Collection

Through sound recordings and moving images, audiovisual heritage offers invaluable insight into the past while preserving unique documentation for future generations, the United Nations cultural agency emphasized on the day designated to raise global awareness about the importance and fragility of this heritage. UNESCO’s World Day for Audiovisual Heritage highlights the urgent need to safeguard films, radio broadcasts, television programs, and other audiovisual materials, which are often vulnerable to deterioration or technological obsolescence. 

By preserving these materials, archives and institutions not only protect cultural memory but also provide future generations with the tools to understand history, society, and diverse cultural expressions.

Special Collections Film Title Showcase

Film Title: Spear of the Nation

This documentary traces the 75-year history of the ANC in unusually candid interviews; some shot secretly inside South Africa. President Oliver Tambo, Albertina Sisulu, Thabo Mbeki and Military Chief Joe Slovo discuss the ANC's history, its political and military strategy and its long-term goals.

Film Title: Gugulethu Seven 

The Gugulethu Seven was an anti-apartheid group of men between the ages of 16 and 23 who were shot and killed on 3 March 1986 by members of the South African Police force. The seven men included Mandla Simon Mxinwa, Zanisile Zenith Mjobo, Zola Alfred Swelani, Godfrey Jabulani Miya, Christopher Piet, Themba Mlifi and Zabonke John Konile. It was later discovered that the police operation that unearthed the Gugulethu Seven's plans had been in the works for some time.

Film Title: Steve Bantu Biko - Beacon of Hope

Steve Bantu Biko is remembered as a "beacon of hope" for his leadership in the Black Consciousness Movement, which uplifted the dignity and self-identity of Black people during apartheid. His work and activism, which included founding the South African Students' Organisation (SASO), inspired a new generation to fight for their rights and created a powerful legacy of empowerment and hope that continues today. 

Formats: VHS | DVD | Digital

This collection spans multiple formats, preserving audiovisual materials across VHS tapes, DVDs, and digital files to ensure accessibility, longevity, and discoverability for researchers and the public.

Film Title: Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony

"Amandla! A Revolution in Four-Part Harmony" is a soul-stirring documentary that uses exclusive interviews and rare, never-before-seen film footage to document the vital role that music played in the nearly half-century struggle against apartheid in South Africa. This inspirational documentary, which took nine years to make, is a testimony to the power of song and its ability to fuel the struggle for freedom.

The UCT Special Collections Library has established a dedicated reading room for library users, providing a comfortable and accessible space to consult and engage with its unique collections. As the reading room has limited capacity, users are encouraged to book in advance through the Special Collections Librarians to ensure access.

The UCT Special Collections Library is currently hosting interns as part of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) Presidential Youth Employment Stimulus (PYES) Internship Program. At present, four interns are participating in this six-month program, gaining valuable experience in library services and archival work.