article  // 15 Aug 2018

The 1968 "Mafeje Affair" sit-in, 50 years on

Archie Mafeje was offered a post as anthropology lecturer at UCT. The offer was then rescinded as a result of government pressure. 1968 was a year marked by student protests across the globe. The "Mafeje Affair" was the spark that ignited s
page  // 19 Jun 2023

Audiovisual Archive

The Audiovisual Archive includes some 20,000 items, including 35 and 16-mm film and video.
page  // 19 Jun 2023

Primary Collections

Our primary collections consist of archival holdings such as manuscripts, audiovisual archives, photographs and the UCT Historical Pamphlets and Photographs Collection.
article  // 29 May 2023

Crate by Crate: Making Progress Visible in AV Recovery

The AV Archive (AVA) used to live in the basement of the Jagger Library. It was one of the first areas to be salvaged following the fire. As the water used to douse the flames accumulated in the basement, a decision was made to expedite...
article  // 16 Sep 2022

Exploring architectural archives in recovery

Promoting public awareness of our rich architectural legacy at the University of Cape Town. The collections include the professional papers and project plans of 20th-century Cape Town architects.
page  // 19 Oct 2022

Special Collections

Special Collections is the preservation library and archive of UCT Libraries, with an array of rare holdings in a range of formats.