Photo: afromusing

It’s difficult to understand South Africa today without understanding our history: the past that shaped our present and, indeed, our future. The most striking element of this past is obviously Apartheid, and to get a vivid picture of what the Apartheid days were like, what both sides were fighting for, and the depth of segregation enforced in that dark period in our history, there’s no better place to visit than the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg.

It won’t be as fun a visit as many of the other tourist attractions on offer, but it will be one of the most informative, and will leave a lasting impression on you. That I can guarantee.

Plan to spend at least half a day wandering around the museum, known far and wide as the pre-eminent museum in the world dealing with 20th century South African history. Through varied displays of blown-up photographs, metal cages and numerous screens showing continuous loops of apartheid scenes, artefacts and newspaper clippings, visitors are made to feel part of the museum, beginning with their entrance ticket: a plastic card stamped White or Non-White which indicates which door you can enter through.

Interestingly, the museum was entirely funded by a casino consortium… Bidders for a new casino had to include a social responsibility project, and the winning consortium dedicated themselves to building this powerful museum.