Hlanganani Basebenzi: Commemorating South Africa’s Labour Movement

The South African History Archive (SAHA) has developed an exhibition kit entitled Hlanganani Basebenzi: Commemorating South Africa’s Labour Movement, in which artefacts from the archives provide a lens into decades of the labour movement’s resistance to apartheid.

Comprising 16 panels (1m wide x 2m high) which can be configured in various ways, and displayed indoors or in the open air, the exhibition kit is made up of reproductions of posters, photographs, and other archival materials, along with supporting background information, focusing on the contributions of the labour movement to the liberation struggle in South Africa.

Because no irreplaceable items are used in this exhibition kit and historical narrative is provided in exhibition-ready form, expenses typically associated with organizing an exhibition, such as insurance and curatorial costs, are substantially reduced.

The exhibition kit is suitable for use at short-term events (for example, conferences and civil society workshops), or for longer exhibitions at community halls and memorials sites. It can fit into a car so can be transported easily.

Easy-to-follow instructions on how to set up and dismantle the exhibition panels are included with the kit, as are templates of posters / flyers to promote the exhibition.

How to borrow the exhibition kit 

If your organisation would like to apply to borrow this exhibition kit, please submit a written and signed request (on the letterhead of your organisation) to SAHA, including the following information:

  • Name of organization:
  • Type of organization:
  • Proposed dates for loan
  • Proposed venue/s for the display of the exhibition kit:
  • Details of measures to be taken to ensure the security of the exhibition kit while on display:
  • Details of any educational or community event/s planned in conjunction with exhibition:
  • Contact person responsible for the exhibition kit while on loan (Name, role, telephone, email)

SAHA also requests that the organisation borrowing the kit to provide feedback on the use of the exhibition kit, ideally with photographs of the exhibition kit in situ.

SAHA does not charge for the loan of any of its exhibition kits, but the organisation borrowing the kit will be responsible for the collection, safeguarding and return of the exhibition kit, and any costs associated therewith. In addition, the borrowing organisation will be expected to cover costs in the case of loss or damage.

For more information about SAHA exhibition kits, please contact archives@saha.org.za

Development of this SAHA exhibition kit was funded by the National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund and the Atlantic Philanthropies.