In its ongoing commitment to preserving South Africa’s rich liberation heritage, the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, in partnership with Northwest University’s School of Social Sciences and the National Heritage Council, is equipping 20 students with practical archival skills.
This initiative is underpinned by a formal Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation and Northwest University (NWU), signed in July 2025, which cements a long-term collaboration on digitisation and archiving projects. The MoA ensures that this and future initiatives are structured, sustainable, and aligned with the academic and community engagement objectives of both institutions.
This programme forms part of a Work Integrated Learning (WIL) programme aimed at cultivating a new generation of archivists and heritage practitioners. Through this hands-on experience, students will be trained in the processes of cataloguing, preserving, and digitising archival materials. The focus is not only on safeguarding the past but also on making historical records accessible to a wider public, including researchers, students, and communities across the country.
Archiving is a powerful tool that helps provide access to history. The Foundation takes pride in working with young people to make sure that South Africa’s liberation history is not only preserved but made accessible for generations to come.
This initiative comes at a critical time when the importance of accessing accurate information cannot be over emphasised. It also echoes the vision outlined in the 2013 White Paper on Arts, Culture, and Heritage, which emphasises the need to protect cultural resources as evidence of a nation’s journey and identity.
A certification ceremony will be held at the conclusion of the programme to acknowledge the students’ participation and newly acquired skills.
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Issued by: The Ahmed Kathrada Foundation
For more information contact:
Anele Gcwabe
Communication Manager
Ahmed Kathrada Foundation
083 2788 832
anele@kathradafoundation.org