Iziko Slave Lodge

Museum · City Bowl ·

Iziko Slave Lodge

Museum · City Bowl ·

Museum exploring slavery and human rights history

Information

Corner Adderley Street and, Wale St, Cape Town, 8000, South Africa Get directions

@afar

25,132 Postcards · 3,702 Cities

"From Human Wrongs to Human Rights History buffs and those who are curious about the slave trade and its impact on South African development (specifically the Western Cape colony) will find a visit to the Slave Lodge very insightful. The theme of the museum is "from human wrongs to human rights." Through posters and historic artifacts in the exhibits, you'll gain an understanding of the history of the slave trade, as well as of human rights violations that persist in the world today. Plan on giving this museum at least an hour to walk through. (Iziko operates 10 other museums in South Africa, including the planetarium.)"

The Best Things to Do in Cape Town

Photo by Marie Frei

Iziko Slave Lodge

@nomadicmatt

6,682 Postcards · 1,172 Cities

How to Save Money When You Visit Cape Town (Updated 2025)

"I include the Slave Lodge on my list of inexpensive cultural attractions worth visiting for its historical significance." - Matthew Kepnes

https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/cape-town-budget-tips/

Iziko Slave Lodge

@nomadicmatt

6,682 Postcards · 1,172 Cities

Cape Town Itinerary: What to Do in 3, 4, or 5 Days (Updated 2025)

"Housed in one of Cape Town’s oldest remaining buildings (built in 1679), the Slave Lodge is now a museum that details the lives and hardships of the tens of thousands of African and Asian people enslaved by the Dutch East India Company; it’s a sobering, important stop to understand the city’s history." - Matthew Kepnes

https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/cape-town-itinerary/

Iziko Slave Lodge

@nomadicmatt

6,682 Postcards · 1,172 Cities

An In-Depth Travel Guide to Cape Town (Updated 2025)

"Housed in one of the city’s oldest buildings (built in 1679), the Slave Lodge is now a museum where we learned about the hardships faced by enslaved people in Cape Town; historically over 60,000 African slaves were brought to the city and up until 1811 about 300 lived at a time in the cramped lodge." - Matthew Kepnes

https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/cape-town-guide/

Iziko Slave Lodge

Waldo K.

Google

Very broad musuem, tells a strong story of the history of south africa and other countries involved in the slace trade routes across the globe. Definitely worth a visit, very extensive viewing material and information.

Diepiriye K.

Google

Extremely well told history of enslavement in this area. Thank you so much, and a must see on your visit to Cape Town. I especially appreciated the wall of names of actual enslaved people, offering us the opportunity to honor respect them as humans.

Evgeny P.

Google

It’s a nice museum to visit and know more about slavery and apartheid and what kind of life slaves had lived during that times. There are some interesting photos and images of Cape Town from previous ages. The building itself is a historical place where hospital based and some of the slaves lived. The museum has a luck of interactive elements, so prepare to read a lot. Still it’s quite interesting and worth to visit. Maybe not the best place to go with the children due to lack of interactive things.

Gracious M.

Google

I really enjoyed learning more about South African history. The staff are not rude and the atmosphere is not chaotic.

H R

Google

This is a must experience for any person travelling to Cape Town. Specially if you are white. There is still a lot of learning to do from our history so we can do better in the presence. We need more acknowledgement of our past and the privilege each of carries and we can only do this by learning. The information here is ground shaking for anyone.

Lesego K.

Google

21 March 2025 (Delayed review) Wow what an informative space to be at, I wish I had more time to explore more. I must say, this requires time in order to have a full experience and to deeply learn. I am going to return again to pick up from where I left of. The place is clean and the staff is brilliant!

Muhammad Khawar N.

Google

The place is Iziko Slave Lodge Museum in Cape Town, South Africa. Location: Corner of Adderley Street and Wale Street, Cape Town City Centre. This museum explores the history of slavery in South Africa, especially during the colonial era. It’s one of the oldest buildings in Cape Town and forms part of the Iziko Museums of South Africa.

Daniel J.

Google

It is a place that all people should visit at least once. In order to know what we can achieve in the future we first need to understand and know where we come from. We had an organized tour through the museum which helped to provide context to all the different exhibitions. It is located at the entrance to the Cape Companies Gardens.