HIGH TEA IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY
By: Dineo Maloka, Junior Curator – DITSONG: National Museum of Cultural History Introduction During the 19th century ‘high tea’ was more than a culinary tradition; it was a significant cultural and social phenomenon. It functioned as a contested site of gendered agency,
DR RUTH SEGOMOTSI MOMPATI
By: Michael Tobolo, Junior Curator, DITSONG: National Museum of Military History Early Life and Education of Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati was born on 14 September 1925 in Tlapeng, a rural area within Ganyesa village in the North West
THE PRIDE OF THE ZULU: A LEGACY OF STRENGTH AND CULTURE
By: Elias Mampheko, Junior Curator, DITSONG: National Museum of Cultural History The History of the Zulus Before emerging as a powerful nation, the Zulu people were largely organised into small clans practicing subsistence farming, similar to other communities in South Africa. Their
THE NEWSPAPER PRESS IN SOUTH AFRICA: EVOLUTION, PURPOSE, AND PRODUCTION
By: Nthabiseng Nzuza, Junior Curator, assisted by Refilwe Kgomo (Volunteer) and Pordon Nxumalo (Intern): DITSONG: National Museum of Cultural History Introduction and Origin The history of journalism in South Africa can be traced back to the early 19th century with the establishment
THE ADZE: SHAPING WOOD AND CULTIVATING SOIL
By: Judas Makwela, Junior Curator, DITSONG: National Museum of Cultural History Introduction An adze (/ædz/ or adz) is an ancient and versatile cutting tool, similar to an axe, but with the cutting edge set perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel. Adzes
TRADITIONAL SKIN CARE PRACTICES OF INDIGENOUS AFRICAN WOMEN
By: Ntebaleng Tlailane, Junior Curator, DITSONG: National Museum of Cultural History Skincare and makeup have long been integral to indigenous women’s cultural expression, predating modern commercial cosmetics by centuries. Across many indigenous communities, women used natural pigments—such as Okuma, Ufie, and
A DELIVERY FROM THE STATES A MESSENGER BOYS’ LONG JOURNEY TO PRETORIA
By: Jan van den Bos, Curator, DITSONG: National Museum of Cultural History During the 1890s, the ‘messenger boy’ was a familiar figure, carrying both joyful and sorrowful news. The birth of a child or the death of a beloved one was
THAUMA: HOW MUSEUMS REMEMBER THEMSELVES
By: David Rilley-Harris, Curator, DITSONG: National Museum of Military History (DNMMH) Thauma – a way to another world. (Picture: DITSONG: National Museum of Military History. The Rand Regiments Memorial). If you have ever paused before an object in a museum and felt an
THE REMARKABLE EMERGENCY NOTES OF 1900–1902
By: Julia Montlha, Curator: Numismatics and Philately, DITSONG: National Museum of Cultural History The South African War (1899–1902) was not only fought on the battlefield but also through control of logistics, resources, and the economy. This economic aspect led to the
QUEEN MODJADJI OF THE BALOBEDU TRIBE (Rain Queen)
By: Abraham Mohale, Junior Curator, DITSONG: National Museum of Military History Figure 1, Queen Masalanabo Modjadji VII (Source: https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2025-01-15-queen-masalanabo-modjadji-vii-makes-history-with-matric-success) Introduction During the latter part of the 1580s, the once peaceful kingdom of Monomotapa in ancient Zimbabwe experienced great upheaval. A son of the