South African Heritage Resources Agency

31/08/2026

‼️Public Notice‼️

Notification of proposed declaration of the Dinosaurs Nesting Site (Rooidraai); Golden Gate Highlands National Park; Free State as a National Heritage Site (Section 32 of the National Heritage Resources Act no 25 of 1999).

Please scan the QR code or follow the link to comment:
www.sahra.org.za/intention-to-declare-dinosaurs-nesting-site/

26/08/2026

Heroes' Day Commemoration at Heroes' Acre for the Namibia Repatriation Programme 🇳🇦

Please click the live link below:
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19UxhoQRrP

Department of Sport, Arts and Culture

25/08/2026

This documentary tells the remarkable story of the repatriation and ceremonial homecoming of six Khoe and San ancestral remains from Scotland to South Africa, and the profound significance of their return to the communities from which they originated.

South African officials, community representatives and members of the delegation share insights into the journey that made this historic repatriation possible, the importance of restoring dignity to the ancestors, and what their return meant to the people of Steinkopf in the Northern Cape.

The Honourable Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Gayton Mckenzie , officiated the handover ceremony at the University of Glasgow Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, marking an important moment of healing, cultural restoration and recognition for Khoe and San communities.

The documentary features interviews with Khoe and San community representatives and members of the various institutions involved in the project, highlighting the collaboration that brought the ancestral remains home. Following their return to South Africa, the remains were formally received and a reburial ceremony was held in Steinkopf. The reburial was a deeply meaningful moment for the community, providing an opportunity to honour their ancestors, restore their dignity and bring a sense of closure and healing to generations of descendants.

The successful international repatriation and ceremonial homecoming form part of the Northern Cape Repatriation and Reburial Project, led by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA), in partnership with Iziko Museums of South Africa, Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, Department of International Relations and Cooperation, SA, and the Northern Cape Community Task Team.

Through the voices of those who made the journey possible, the documentary captures more than the return of ancestral remains, it tells a story of identity, dignity, belonging, healing and the restoration of cultural heritage to the communities to whom it belongs.

Click on the YouTube Link:

This documentary tells the remarkable story of the repatriation and...

20/08/2026

📚 Inspiring the Next Generation of Heritage Practitioners 🏛️

The South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) Built Environment Unit recently participated in the Pathways to Practice Series II hosted by the School of Architecture and Planning at the Wits - University of the Witwatersrand.

Students were introduced to the importance of heritage conservation and its role in shaping sustainable development and professional practice within the built environment. The session provided valuable insights into the opportunities and responsibilities involved in protecting South Africa’s rich heritage for future generations.

19/08/2026

🏛️ Bridging Heritage Conservation and Development

SAHRA's Built Environment and Development Applications Units recently presented a joint lecture to 1st-year Master’s students in Urban and Regional Planning at Stellenbosch University. Facilitated by Prof. Danie du Plessis, the session explored the important relationship between heritage conservation and development, highlighting the legal frameworks that protect South Africa’s heritage resources and showcasing relevant heritage site case studies.

Through engagements like these, SAHRA continues to foster knowledge-sharing and support the next generation of heritage and planning professionals.

19/08/2026

🇿🇦Today We Honour a Journey Home🇳🇦

Today marks a profound moment as South Africa hosts a historic repatriation send-off ceremony for ancestral remains and two Namibian former political prisoners.

This ceremony acknowledges the sacrifices of the past while advancing healing, dignity, and reconciliation for future generations.

Follow the event and read more about this significant milestone: sahra.org.za/namibia-repatriation/

Live stream link: https://www.youtube.com/live/0MIHUqVh5E0?si=MOItaU4_-e3fzT94

19/08/2026

The SAHRA Heritage Consultant Survey 2026 is open for participation from 19 August to 19 September 2026. The aim of the survey is to gather preliminary data on heritage consultants in South Africa to assist with policy development and the growth of the industry.

Please encourage all members involved in the development impact assessment industry, inclusive of those involved in the mitigation and management of these impacts to complete the survey. Preliminary results will be presented at the ASAPA 2026 Conference, and thereafter a final report will be made available for review.

Please participate to provide much needed data.

Complete the 10–15 minute survey here:
👉 https://sahris.org.za/form/heritage-consult-survey

18/08/2026

🇿🇦Honouring the Past Healing the Future🇳🇦

Discover the story behind a historic repatriation ceremony.
Read more on the Namibia Project:
sahra.org.za/namibia-repatriation/

18/08/2026

The University of Pretoria (UP) Museums invites you to a seminar examining the materiality of Irma Stern’s Arab Priest within an integrated art-historical and conservation framework. The seminar considers the artist’s handling of paint, surface construction, support, and the complex layered structure of the oil painting as fundamental to both its expressive force and interpretive depth. Please join us for an in-depth and insightful talk by the Museum’s Art Conservator, Sandra Markgraaf, exploring how meaning is constructed not only on the painted surface but also through the concealed, often-overlooked material evidence embedded within the artwork itself.

Date: 25 August 2026

Time: 12:30 to 14:00

Venue: Merensky 2 Library, Level 3 Auditorium, Department of Library Services

Parking: Hatfield Campus, Engineering 3 Parkade (access via one-time PIN)

Email: [email protected] / WhatsApp: +27 68 236 4808

Tel: +27 12 420 5181. 012 420 3553

RSVP: RSVP by 20 August 2026

BIOGRAPHY: Sandra Markgraaf:
Sandra is a Pretoria-based paintings conservator who currently serves part–time as the museum art conservator at the University of Pretoria and also manages a private conservation practice. She was selected by the Netherlands-based Stichting Restauratie Atelier Limburg as one of only sixteen conservators worldwide to participate in a pilot virtual workshop on the advanced ‘mist-lining’ technique for the conservation of canvas paintings. She also collaborated on a technical study of the material analysis of a significant artwork in the University’s collection, conducted by the University of Pretoria Heritage Conservation Programme and Yale University’s Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage. She holds a Master’s degree in Museum Science and a Diploma in Conservation, and served as the art conservator and curator for 13 years at the DITSONG National Museum of Cultural History. Sandra specialises in the conservation of paintings and is responsible for the preservation and remedial conservation of the University of Pretoria’s extensive art collection.