Know your heritage

Heritage is not only about ancient history; it affects our lives today. Whether natural or cultural, our city is made up of treasures that both reflect our past and are valuable to today’s generations.

Our heritage resources include:

• buildings;
• places and spaces;
• settlements;
• landscapes (natural or cultural); and
• objects and memorials.

Visit our heritage information and resources page for useful tips and guides to help you nurture and conserve heritage resources for future generations.

Threats to our heritage

Heritage cannot be renewed: if it is destroyed, it can never be replaced. Ignorant, reckless or profit-driven development that fails to consider the impact of such developments on the environment (natural and cultural) and our communities remains the greatest threat to heritage. Other factors which can lead to loss of heritage are poor maintenance, lack of funds to maintain a private site, theft, vandalism and willful neglect.

Eight things you can do to enjoy and help protect our heritage

Heritage belongs to all the people of Cape Town and community participation is vital in preserving our heritage resources.

Communities can help identify places of heritage significance in their neighbourhoods and help to protect them for future generations by doing the following:

• Visit heritage sites with your children to teach them about their legacy, and encourage others to do the same.
• Get free architectural advice for building alterations in historic areas before you make any changes as architect, homeowner or tenant. For more information, read Your heritage site or building.
• Make sure your signage is in accordance with the city’s guidelines and advertising by-law if you own a business in an historic building.
• Use the information and resources available. With around 25 000 sites listed on Cape Town’s heritage database plus historical maps and a well-stocked resource centre being set up for research or archiving, you have all the support you need to explore your heritage. Get in touch with us to access our archives on heritage@capetown.gov.za.
• Clearing out bookshelves? Donate any treasured books on history and heritage of the Cape to the City of Cape Town’s heritage resource centre. Get in touch with us to donate on heritage@capetown.gov.za.
• Report any destruction of a heritage resource to the environmental control officer.
• Register your local heritage interest group with our Environmental Management Department and with Heritage Western Cape and the South African Heritage Resources Agency.
• Are you aware of an overlooked historical site or heritage resource in your area or in your community worth considering for inclusion in the City’s heritage inventory? Email us the details on heritage@capetown.gov.za and we will investigate!

How the City protects our heritage resources

An important part of the management of our heritage resources is the identification and mapping of buildings, places and landscapes that are considered to be worthy of conservation: to be protected and nurtured for the benefit of current and future generations.

Our heritage branch works according to national legislation, along with the provincial government. Here is a breakdown of areas of responsibility in the city:

• The SA Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) is responsible for the identification and management of sites of national significance (Grade I heritage sites).
• Heritage Western Cape (HWC) is responsible for the identification and management of sites of provincial important (Grade II heritage sites).
• The City of Cape Town is responsible for the identification and mapping of heritage resources of local importance (Grade III heritage resources).

To ensure the good management of our heritage, the City works on a daily basis with our Cultural Heritage Strategy to:

• identify any possible heritage resource;
• ensure all resources are included in an up to date inventory;
• assess the significance of all resource;
• grade all heritage resources according to a national system;
• give heritage resources legal protection;
• administer and manage the protection of our heritage resources;
• enhance and interpret the resource so that more people understand its significance; and
• communicate the value of the resource to the public, and encourage access to heritage resources.

Heritage legislation

The Constitution and the Bill of Rights requires that we work together to protect our natural and cultural heritage.

The National Heritage Resources Act (NHRA), promulgated in 1999, is the current legislation protecting heritage in South Africa. It aims at promoting an integrated approach to heritage management on national, provincial and local government levels. It also aims to empower local communities to have a role in the protection and conservation of our heritage for our children and their children’s children. The National Environmental Management Act protects our natural environment and natural heritage.

Heritage Protection Overlays

The Heritage Protection Overlay zoning of the 2015 Municipal Planning By-Law is the tool that the City uses to protect buildings, places and spaces which it considers worthy of conservation and important to the city. The criteria for deciding whether a building, place or space is significant in terms of its cultural heritage are defined by the National Heritage Resources Act.

Document downloads

• 1. CCT Cultural Heritage Strategy

     09/10/2018, Cultural heritage strategy - 626.9 KB