South End Museum

South End was a mixed suburb of Port Elizabeth, now Gqeberha, where people of many races and faiths lived side by side, with churches, mosques and a Hindu temple within a few streets. Under the Group Areas Act its residents were split up by race and moved to separate townships and suburbs, and the neighbourhood was flattened. The South End Museum was set up by people affected by those removals, through a trust formed in 1999.

What to expect

This is a small, personal museum. The displays are built on photographs, letters and oral histories from former residents, and an upgrade in 2020 turned them into more of a living archive. One installation, Gone but not Forgotten, draws on historical photographs of the old streets. The museum also covers where people were sent: coloured families to areas such as Gelvandale and Korsten, Chinese families to Kabega Park, Indian families to Malabar and black residents to townships including New Brighton.

Practical details

The museum stands on the corner of Humewood Road and Walmer Boulevard in South End. Telephone +27 41 582 3325. Its old web address now shows only a domain notice, no official source for current opening hours could be found, and one event listing says booking is required, so phone ahead before you go.

Good to know

The museum has had money troubles in the past and has relied on outside funding to stay open, which is another reason to call first. Allow about an hour. It pairs well with a walk or drive through the area today, where very little of the old South End survives, which is rather the point.

Last updated 6 October 2026. Sources: South African History Online, The Herald, What's On in Joburg.