Cape Town is preserving its rich history through digitisation, protecting invaluable historical records while making the city’s heritage more accessible for future generations.
The City of Cape Town is expanding its efforts to preserve and share the city’s documentary heritage through new digitisation technology, an innovative online eHeritage platform and a dedicated team working to make thousands of historical records more accessible.
Mayoral Committee Member for Corporate Services, Alderman Theresa Uys, recently visited the Environmental Heritage Resources Information Centre (EHRIC) in Wale Street to observe the progress being made in preserving some of Cape Town’s most valuable historical collections.
“The last time I visited the City’s Environmental Heritage Resources Information Centre here on Wale Street was when it was undergoing repairs following storm damage. I am pleased to see that the map room now has new shelving and enhanced protection for the valuable documents entrusted to the City’s care,” said Uys.
The visit also highlighted the role of four interns supporting the digitisation programme. Sinazo Dyonase, Yusrah Alcock, Ziyanda Mngati and Loenora Hendricks are cataloguing historical records, digitising archival material and helping preserve important documents for future generations.
Uys also recognised Khanyiswa Mahambehlala, who joined the City through its internship programme before securing permanent employment.
“As the City of Hope, we welcome every opportunity to place interns within the organisation, and I thank our Human Resources Department for facilitating these opportunities across our workforce of more than 33 000 employees,” she said.
The City has strengthened its preservation programme by investing in specialised scanning technology. A Bookeye 5 scanner is digitising fragile books, bound volumes and newspaper collections dating back to the late nineteenth century, while a ROWE large-format scanner is preserving historical maps, building plans and oversized archival documents.
“Cape Town has a rich heritage. Part of this heritage is a remarkable collection of historical maps, surveys, plans and photographs that form part of the Environmental Heritage Resources Information Centre,” said Willem Hutten, the City’s Senior Heritage Professional at EHRIC.
Many historical maps are already available through the City’s Map Viewer, while a new eHeritage Information Management System, expected to launch publicly in July 2027, will provide access to historical photographs, research reports, building plans, declaration notices and other archival records.
The Environmental Heritage Resources Information Centre safeguards one of Cape Town’s most significant historical collections, preserving more than 160 years of the city’s development through original surveys, historical maps, mayoral minutes, building plans and newspaper archives.
