Welcome to the National Archives Website

11/04/2016
A warm welcome to the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa website, a home of South African documentary heritage! A home of 9 million public records growing…
 
This is where all historical records are kept for future generations. Are you looking for the oldest document in the history of South Africa? Are you looking for the oldest film that was produced in South Africa? Are you interested in genealogical search or family history? Then, look no ………………Read More
31/03/2016

The Department of Arts and Culture has given the go-ahead for the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa to embark on a capital works project to ensure the continued preservation of South Africa’s irreplaceable documentary heritage. The current National Archives building is starting to show its age and although a few upgrades have been done since opening its doors in 1988 it was felt that a major facelift is needed this time around. The work started in January 2013 and is set for completion during this financial year ………………Read More

31/03/2016
A series of Records Management Seminars were held in the following provinces viz.:
 
  • East London - 31 July 2015;
  • Free State - 21 October 2015;
  • Western Cape - 24 November 2015;
  • Mpumalanga - 3 December 2015;
  • North West - 23 February 2016; and
  • KwaZulu-Natal - 10 March 2016.
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31/03/2016
The National Archives has for a number of years endeavoured to make the Dictabelt collection in its possession accessible for research again. Dictabelts are a sound recording format, used mostly in the South African court system from the 1950’s until the 1970’s. The format is obsolete and the equipment to play back the recordings was never accessible to the National Archives.
 

During the France / South Africa season in 2012 discussions started between the National ………………Read More

Audio File:
31/03/2016

Zimbabwe hosted the XXIII BIENNIAL Conference for the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA) from 8-12 June 2015 at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The conference theme was “Archives Uses, Abuses and Underutilization”. The conference was attended by more than 500 delegates from Southern and Eastern Africa. Ms Khanyi Ngcobo, Ms Gladness Mathebula and Ms Victoria Moerane represented the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa at the Conference ………………Read More

31/03/2016
The National Archives and Records Service of South Africa (NARSSA) started with the Revamping of the National Automated Archival Information Retrieval System (NAAIRS) in 2011 when it became clear that the system is obsolete and needs modernisation to keep up with the times.
 
According to Section 3 (e) of the National Archives and Records Service of South Africa Act (No.43 of 1996 as amended), the National Archives shall maintain a National Automated ………………Read More