The Camissa Museum

The Camissa Museum The Camissa Museum uncovers a hidden ancestral and cultural past that challenges the Colonial and Apartheid.

10/04/2026

PRESS RELEASE

A Milestone for Kaaps: The Official Launch of the Kaaps Woriboek

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA – The Castle of Good Hope, together with the University of the Western Cape, Heal the Hood project, the Societie Virrie Advancement van Kaaps (SAK), in partnership with Shofar Books, is proud to announce the publication of the Kaaps Woriboek (Kaaps Dictionary) (ISBN: 978-1-0370-4946-0). This landmark publication represents a definitive step in the formal documentation and celebration of Kaaps as a literary and academic language.
The Kaaps Woriboek is the culmination of years of rigorous linguistic research and community engagement. It serves not only as a resource but as a tool for linguistic empowerment, affirming the historical and cultural significance of a language that has long been central to the identity of millions of South Africans. By documenting the lexicon of Kaaps, the project challenges historical marginalization and promotes "linguistic citizenship," allowing speakers to claim their rightful space in South Africa and its social landscape.
Availability and Sales
The dictionary is now available for purchase. To ensure wide accessibility, the Kaaps Woriboek can be ordered online through the official Shofar Books website at https://shofarbooks.co.za/book/kaaps-woriboek/ or at 37 Van Riebeeck Road, Kuilsriver.
Contact Details
Busiswa , 021 461 4673/6

22/11/2025

Penuel The Black Pen explores the complex history and identity of South Africa's different types of Coloureds

Dear Angus, On behalf of all of us at Camissa Museum, we wish you a very happy birthday!As one of our founding members, ...
17/10/2025

Dear Angus,

On behalf of all of us at Camissa Museum, we wish you a very happy birthday!

As one of our founding members, your vision, creativity, and unwavering dedication have been instrumental in shaping the museum’s identity and narrative. From your academic training in Amsterdam and your time in Australia, to your return to South Africa and your contribution to key heritage and design projects (such as the Slave Lodge exhibition and the Robben Island transformation) speaks to your deep commitment to truth, memory, and healing.

We are especially grateful for how you have worked alongside historians, researchers, and fellow creatives to bring your design and curatorial vision into the collective effort to recover and share the hidden histories of the Cape. The Camissa Museum stands as a space of hope, transformation, and inclusive storytelling.

On your special day, we celebrate you, not just for all you have accomplished, but for all the inspiration you continue to give us.

May this year bring you joy, renewed energy, and fertile new ideas. We look forward to journeying ahead with you.


Taking a deep dive into 195 streams of origin and the 7 tributaries display at the Camissa Museum. Yes, it’s true, you’r...
07/10/2025

Taking a deep dive into 195 streams of origin and the 7 tributaries display at the Camissa Museum. Yes, it’s true, you’re a part of us too.

05/10/2025

Set up for the Mankind Project earlier last month. Looking forward to the next gathering.

The Camissa Museum was honored to host UCT’s final-year PGCE students – our future history educators. Project Manager l...
01/10/2025

The Camissa Museum was honored to host UCT’s final-year PGCE students – our future history educators.

Project Manager led the tour, weaving together personal narrative, formal study, art, and Indigenous Knowledge systems. She reflected on her journey of formalising her education while drawing on lived experience and the erased voices of her own ancestry.

The visit highlighted the museum’s work in making erased histories visible, sharing knowledge of Cape Town’s layered past, and opening conversations about who gets to access and tell these stories.

Students also engaged with artist , whose work in the Cape x NL Whispers and Shouts exhibition explores identity and memory, as well as Joshua Memboi, a Tourism and Geography graduate currently completing his internship at

We are grateful to the Castle Team for their ongoing support and continue to acknowledge the founders of the Camissa Museum and all who made this space possible. Special thanks to for supporting emerging new voices in heritage and education sectors.

Big morning at the Castle of Good Hope! ✨CEO Calvyn Gilfellan and Elise Fernandez — Project Manager of the Camissa Museu...
19/09/2025

Big morning at the Castle of Good Hope! ✨

CEO Calvyn Gilfellan and Elise Fernandez — Project Manager of the Camissa Museum and co-curator of the powerful Whispers and Shouts exhibition — welcomed Tando Ntunja and the amazing SABC 2 Morning Live team for a feature on our heritage spaces.

From the Camissa Museum to the Cape Heritage Museum, Koena Art Institute, and beyond, South Africa’s oldest colonial building came alive with stories, art, and history in celebration of Tourism & Heritage Month.

Shoutout to our intern Joshua Memboi, who also jumped on camera to share his perspective — future heritage leaders in action! 🙌🏽

Thank you, Morning Live, for helping us spread the word about the hidden gems at the Castle.







A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed so far to our fundraising campaign! Your generosity is helping us get c...
26/08/2025

A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed so far to our fundraising campaign! Your generosity is helping us get closer to our goal of R144,000 to expand our education and public programmes.
But we’re not there yet. The campaign ends on 1 September, and we need one last collective push. Every donation, big or small, will help us sustain and grow the Camissa Museum’s work.
With Heritage Month around the corner, and especially on Heritage Day (24 September), we invite you to make a special effort to support the Camissa Museum. Together we can:
• Expand youth education programmes on ancestry, creativity, and belonging.
• Maintain and grow exhibitions that tell the stories of Cape Town’s indigenous, enslaved, and displaced peoples.
The Camissa Museum at the Castle of Good Hope is not just about the past; it’s about reclaiming dignity, inspiring pride, and shaping futures.
How you can help:
✅ Donate before 1 September
✅ Share this campaign with your networks
✅ Visit us during Heritage Month and spread the word
Camissa is a place of origin. A place of remembering. A place of return.

👉 Donate & Learn More: https://camissamuseum.co.za
https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/support-the-camissa-museum
📸 Follow us:
Let’s restore dignity. Let’s reclaim heritage. Let’s do it together.

Address

Corner Of Castle And Darling Streets
Cape Town
8001

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00
Saturday 09:00 - 17:00
Sunday 09:00 - 17:00

Telephone

+27217871249

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