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AFD Forges Strategic Alliance Between Paris Musées and South Africa's Robben Island Museum
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The Robben Island Museum and Paris Musées have formalised a three-year strategic partnership to support the museum at a pivotal moment in its journey, with the support of France through the Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
The project, with funding of ZAR 8,3 million (€440,975), brings French technical, scientific, and strategic expertise to one of South Africa’s most iconic heritage sites. The collaboration began with a technical diagnostic conducted in January 2026 by experts from Paris Musées in consultation with all Robben Island Museum’s departments.
The next phases will focus on:
- Redesigning the museum’s museography offering
- Enhancing the value of its historical archives
- Strengthening a sustainable economic model aligned with the museum’s ambitions and operational realities
"Robben Island Museum (RIM), inaugurated by President Nelson Mandela as the first post-apartheid museum and now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, welcomes over 250,000 visitors each year. As one of Cape Town Big 6 tourist attractions, RIM draws visitors from across South Africa and around the globe. The museum plays a pivotal role in promoting social cohesion and nation building, while making a significant contribution to socio-economic development,” said Ayanda Woji, Acting Chief Heritage Officer at RIM.
“The AFD and Paris Musées partnership will support the diversification of our offerings, attract both new and repeat visitors, and deliver transformative experiences. Collaborating with these esteemed French institutions will empower Robben Island Museum to reach new generations, sharing its enduring message of the triumph of the human spirit over adversity,” said Woji.
Collaboration between RIM and AFD started in 2022, with a three-year technical partnership with France’s National Audiovisual Institute (INA). The initiative focused on the museum’s Mayibuye Archives, supporting the digitization and promotion of archival collections for educational, scientific, and heritage purposes.
Ending in 2025, this landmark project between South Africa and France enabled the training of qualified archival professionals at RIM as well as enhanced public access to archival collections.
The upcoming partnership with Paris Musées marks the next chapter in keeping alive the memories of the South African liberation struggle through engagement with current and future audiences, locally and globally.
After a study visit to France by RIM’s executive team in March 2025, the museum formally sought the support of Paris Musées, reflecting its ambition to draw on French expertise in museography and sustainable economic structuring.
Paris Musées was selected for its distinctive position within the museum sector. As a public institution bringing together 14 museums of the City of Paris, it combines scientific excellence with the management of a wide range of heritage assets. Its strong capacity for innovation, particularly in digital initiatives along with its proactive audience development strategy, resource mobilisation capabilities, and experience in immersive projects, makes Paris Musées a key partner in co-developing a high value-added museum offering.
Currently, Paris Musées cooperates with dozens of prestigious museums around the world such as the MiSK Art Institute in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Power Station of Art in Shanghai (China), the Minneapolis Institute of Art (USA), the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural in Luanda (Angola).
At the heart of the partnership with RIM is a commitment to lasting skills transfer. Scientific, technical, and management teams from Paris Musées will support the strengthening of local capacities and contribute to the development of economically viable services, including retail, catering, and venue hire, drawing on proven models from Parisian museums.
The project also provides methodological support for developing strategies to diversify financial resources, including pricing, sponsorship, and private events. Training sessions, workshops, and exchanges of best practices will further reinforce RIM’s capabilities and ensure the durability of project outcomes.
The initiative reflects AFD’s priorities in culture, heritage, and sustainable tourism, as well as broader objectives related to social cohesion, transmission of memory, promotion of cultural identities, and local job creation.
“This new project is fully in line with AFD’s mandate to promote social cohesion and local economic development. We are proud to support this partnership between a world-class French institution and RIM, to promote the site and reinforce its contribution to memory transmission and the forging of a common history and diverse culture in South Africa,” said Marie-Hélène Loison, AFD Southern Africa regional director.
By showcasing innovative and adaptable French cultural expertise, the collaboration stands as a concrete example of excellence in international cultural cooperation, while promoting French know-how in the heritage and museum sector throughout the region.
In the longer term, the aim is to build on RIM’s status as one of the leading national museums dedicated to South Africa’s recent history and reinforce Cape Town’s role as a thriving cultural hub for generations to come.