The objects and functions of National Archives in terms of Section 3 of the National Archives and Records Service Act (Act No.43 of 1996 as amended) shall be to-

(a) preserve public and non-public records with enduring value for use by the public and the State;

(b) make such records accessible and promote their use by the public;

(c) ensure the proper management and care of all public records;

(d) collect non-public records with enduring value of national significance which cannot be more appropriately preserved by another institution, with due regard to the need to document aspects of the nation's experience neglected by archives repositories in the past;

(e) maintain a national automated archival information retrieval system, in which all provincial archives services shall participate;

(f) maintain national registers of non-public records with enduring value, and promote co-operation and co-ordination between institutions having custody of such records;

(g) assist, support, set standards for and provide professional guidelines to provincial archives services;

(h) promote an awareness of archives and records management, and encourage archival and records management activities; and

(i) generally promote the preservation and use of a national archival heritage.