Tucked in Makhanda (formerly Grahamstown) in the Eastern Cape, Amazwi South African Museum of Literature is treating African literature as the heritage it is. The name amazwi means “voices”, and the museum’s entire existence is an argument that those voices deserve walls, archives, and reverence. Its mission is to collect, preserve, research, and make South African literature accessible to all.

The permanent exhibitions trace South Africa’s literary story from the earliest colonial writing to the present day, through original manuscripts, rare books, authors’ notebooks, and letters — complemented by audio, video, and interactive elements. One exhibition, Amaqhawe Oncwadi (Literary Legends), honours the pioneering writers of isiXhosa literature. Another, Voices of the Land, moves through the whole sweep of the nation’s literary heritage, including oral literature and writing that grapples with today’s social-ecological crises.

The temporary exhibitions are just as compelling. Right now, the museum is spotlighting Mongane Wally Serote — South Africa’s Poet Laureate, novelist, playwright, and a towering voice who has been writing since the apartheid era. Serote’s life and work read like a full account of South Africa’s modern literary and political history, and Amazwi is giving that legacy the space it deserves. The museum also runs a digital exhibition on playwright and exile Anthony Akerman, whose debut play was banned by the apartheid state in 1986 for being, in the government’s own words, “prejudicial to the safety of the State.”

If you are a lover of African literature and you ever find yourself in the Eastern Cape, Amazwi is not optional. Visit their website at amazwi.museum to explore the exhibitions, plan your visit, or simply spend time in their digital offerings. The voices are there. Go listen.