Archival Collections at SAHA

SAHA's archival collections are largely made up of documents, posters, photographs, ephemera and oral histories donated to SAHA by individuals and organizations involved in past and ongoing struggles for justice in South Africa.

These include significant collections relating to the anti-apartheid struggle, the United Democratic Front (UDF) and the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). In our archive, you will also find collections relating to SAHA's work using freedom of information legislation to promote awareness of access to information in South Africa, as well as materials created or collected in the course of SAHA's various oral history, education, heritage and outreach projects.

While the majority of our collections are paper-based and can only be consulted by visiting our offices in Johannesburg, a small range of digitised copies of documents, posters and photographs can be browsed on this website. Selected digitised archival materials from SAHA collections relating to the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission are also accessible on the Traces of Truth website. In partnership with Digital Innovation South Africa (DISA), certain archival materials from key SAHA collections relating to the liberation struggle in South Africa are now digitised and can be accessed for educational and non-commercial purposes on the DISA website.

Reproduction of SAHA archival materials

If you are interested in reproducing archival materials from SAHA in a publication, please note that SAHA does not hold copyright for many of our collections and is unable to assist with copyright clearance for publication. Please visit our copyright page for more information about the issues surrounding copyright as it relates to our collections and, more broadly, South African liberation struggle materials .

Please contact Archives at SAHA with any enquiries about reproducing SAHA archival materials.

Collection Categories
> Audiovisual Collections
While SAHA does not generally collect audiovisual materials, collections that include such materials donated alongside other archival materials are listed in this category.
> Freedom of Information
These collections contain materials relating to, or released under, South Africa's freedom of information legislation, the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA).
> Oral History
The collections are made up of oral histories, in the form of audio recordings and / or written transcripts of interviews.
> Posters and Photographs
These archival collections contain posters and photographs.
> Trade Unions
These collections either contain the materials created or collected by particular trade unions, or images of various trade union activities, particularly from the 1980s.
> TRC Collections
SAHA has actively collected archival materials relating to the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
> UDF Collections
Reflecting SAHA's history as an archive established by UDF affiliates, SAHA has a significant range of UDF materials in its archive.
> Environmental Justice
> All Collections