South Africa Archives and Libraries

National Archives and Record Service
The National Archives and Records Service (NARS) provides for the management and care of the government records and for the preservation and use of a national archival heritage.

This online resource provides a National Automated Archival Information Retrieval System which contains records of genealogical value.

How to Use the National Archives Website
To learn how to use National Archives, try out the "How to" Guide! First, read through the [[Media:1-National_Archives,_Instruction.pdf|Instruction]]. Then test your knowledge with the short [[Media:2-National_Archives,_Assignment.pdf|Assignment]] - the [[Media:3-National_Archives,_Answer_Key.pdf|Answer Key]] is provided to check your answers!

University of Cape Town Archival and Special Collections
The UCT Archives preserves paper records in two sets of collections: Administrative Archives and the University Libraries’ Special Collections.

University of Pretoria Archives
The Archives of the University of Pretoria serves as the memory bank of the institution. It preserves and maintains access to records from all sectors of the University, as well as associated institutions and communities. It strives to reflect the spirit of the University and to support the University’s teaching, research and community service mission.

Western Cape Archives and Records Service
The Western Cape Archives and Records Service provides public access to government records and private collections that are 20 or more years old. The archive is used for academic, government and private research. Genealogical research is the most popular use of the archives.

Independent Archives
Historical Papers is one of the largest and most comprehensive independent archives in Southern Africa. Over 3300 collections of historical, political and cultural importance, encompassing the mid 17th Century to the Present

National Library of South Africa
Pretoria Campus 228 Johannes Ramokhoase St Pretoria 0001 South Africa Telephone: 27 012 401 9700 Email: [mailto:infodesk@nlsa.ac.za infodesk@nlsa.ac.za] Cape Town Campus 5 Queen Victoria Street Cape Town 8000 South Africa Telephone: 27 021 424 6320 Email: [mailto:info@nlsa.ac.za info@nlsa.ac.za] Website: National Library of South Africa

University College London
The University College London contains the following database: Legacies of British Slave-ownership. It is a database of those paid after being forced to free slaves in 1833. Although the site refers to "British Slave Ownership", searching the database shows all claims by residents of the South Africa cape colony.

University of South Africa (UNISA) Library
Capetown Branch 15 Jean Simonis Street Parow 7500 Telephone: 27 021 936 4125/4126 Email: [mailto:ctnlib@unisa.ac.za ctnlib@unisa.ac.za] Durban Branch 230 Stalwart Simelane Street Durban 4001 Telephone: 27 031 335 1722/23/24 East London Branch Phyllis Ntantala (Collaborative Library) 50 Church Street East London, CBD East London 5200 Telephone: 27 043 709 0431/2 Ekurhuleni Branch Cnr R51 Road and Brazil Street Daveyton, Benoni Telephone: 27 011 845 9338/9 Florida Branch GJ Gerwel Building [Former C Block] Cnr Christiaan De Wet and Pioneer Avenue Florida Telephone: 27 011 471 3068/2933/2837 Nelspruit Branch 1st floor, Standard Bank Building 31 Brown Street Nelspruit 1201 Telephone: 27 013 755 2476 Email: [mailto:nelslib@unisa.ac.za nelslib@unisa.ac.za] Pietermaritzburg Branch 1 Langalibalele Street Pietermaritzburg Telephone: 27 033 355 1713/14 Polokwane Branch Provincial Centre - Limpopo Province PO Box 2805 Polokwane 0700 Telephone: 27 015 2903401/15/31/33/36/56 Port Elizabeth Branch Greyville House Cnr Cape Road and Greyville Street Greenacres Port Elizabeth 6001 Telephone: 27 041 392 0115 Pretoria, Main campus (Muckleneuk) Anton Lembede (AL) Building Preller Street Muckleneuk Ridge Pretoria Unisa Library PO Box 392 Unisa 0003 Telephone: 27 012 429 3133 Rustenburg Branch Cnr OR Tambo and Steen Street Rustenburg 0300 Telephone: 27 014 594 8873/43/26/42 Sunnyside Branch Building 15 Walker Street Sunnyside Campus Telephone: 27 012 441 5781/5782/5763

Website: Library Branch locator

Cory Library
The Cory Library is located on Rhodes University campus in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape. The library has a large collection of genealogical materials, including the following:


 * Complete set of the Graham's Town Journal from 1831 to 1920, all in hardcopy with the exception of 1853-1857 which is available on microfilm. After 1920 the Grahamstown Journal was incorporated in the variously titled Grocott's Penny/Daily Mail.
 * The newspaper Grocott's Mail is still published in Grahamstown twice a week, Tuesdays and Fridays. The Cody Library holds the archival hardcopy set of the Grocott's Mail from its inception in 1872 to date as well as sets of other Grahamstown and district newspapers.
 * Archives (including church registers) of, inter alia, the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, the Diocese of Grahamstown (Church of the Province of Southern Africa) and the Eastern Cape Presbyteries of the Presbyterian Church of Southern Africa.
 * Registers for some Congregational, Roman Catholic and Baptist Churches as well as marriage registers for the Grahamstown Hebrew Congregation.