South African National Art Gallery

The South African National Art Gallery was founded in 1871. Photo courtesy Danie van der Merwe

The South African National Art Gallery, in the Company’s Garden, forms part of the Iziko Museum of Cape Town.

The gallery was founded in 1871 and Thomas Butterworth Bayley bequeathed the first collection of 45 paintings. Thousands of paintings and sculptures now make up the gallery’s collection.

This leading art museum houses outstanding collections of African, British, French, Dutch and Flemish art dating from the colonial to the modern era, and includes paintings, photography, sculpture, architecture, bead work, textiles and works on paper. These collections are at times complemented by visiting exhibitions.

The collections on exhibit change regularly as it’s not possible to showcase everything at once. 

In 1990 the Bead Society of Southern Africa was launched at the gallery and since then the gallery has done a great deal in collecting beadwork that expresses African culture. Beadwork is an important form of artistic expression among South African women.

The gallery is open Monday to Sunday, from 10h00 to 17h00. Entry fee for adults is R20, pensioners and students R10. Visitors 18 years and under may enter free of charge.

Parking, access for disabled people, a gift shop and conference facilities are available.