Global Digital Heritage Afrika

05/05/2026

Happy African World Heritage Day! Proclaimed by UNESCO in 2015, African World Heritage Day (5 May) is an opportunity for people around the world to celebrate Africa’s unique cultural and natural heritage.
Global Digital Heritage Afrika at the University of Cape Town is the Africa branch of Global Digital Heritage. Click the link below to experience virtual tours of some of the sites we have documented in South Africa.
The virtual tours enable you to interact with 360 panoramic photos, video, 3D models and other media. Enjoy!

The Owl House Nieu-Bethesda
KwaZulu-Natal Amafa and Research Institute
Fish Hoek Valley Museum

05/05/2026

02/03/2026

Our campaign at The Owl House Nieu-Bethesda has resulted in some fascinating digital products. Watch the video to see what we got up to. The links to the digital products are in the YouTube comments section. There are 3D models and a virtual tour that was produced using 3D Gaussian Splatting.
Do a virtual visit of the Owl House! Thanks to the Owl House Foundation for entrusting Global Digital Heritage Afrika to 3D scan this treasure of outsider art🤝

The Owl House is a small but important museum located in Nieu-Bethesda, South Africa. It was created by Helen Martins (1897–1976), who transformed her home o...

10/02/2026

Our own Bruce McDonald 's favorite 3D models

04/02/2026

Thursday, 12 February 2026 - Fish Hoek Valley Historical Association looks forward to kicking off the year with a well-attended AGM and a new way to see Peers Cave.

Topic: A New Way to See Peers Cave
Speaker: Bruce McDonald
Time: 17:00 to begin at 17:30
Venue: Fish Hoek Library side hall

Information about the Speaker and Topic:

What if you could step inside Peers Cave (without leaving the room) and see it as you've never seen it before? Using cutting-edge 3D laser scanning and digital imaging, Global Digital Heritage Afrika has created a remarkable virtual experience of this important local heritage site — and we will be screening a short film clip at our AGM meeting.

Following matters of the AGM, we will welcome Bruce McDonald, BSc, Deputy Chief Scientist at Global Digital Heritage Afrika, who will speak about the work behind this extraordinary digital documentation.

Bruce is a professionally registered land surveyor with an international career spanning South Africa, Canada, and Scotland. His experience includes cadastral, topographical, photogrammetric and engineering surveys, as well as dimensional control work on major oil and construction projects. Since returning to South Africa, his focus has been on 3D laser scanning, drone-based aerial photography, and the digital recording of architectural structures, heritage sites and historical landscapes.

On 28 May 2024, in cooperation with the Fish Hoek Valley Museum, Global Digital Heritage Afrika scanned Peers Cave using advanced 3D laser scanners and DSLR cameras. The film clip we will screen is the result — a compelling new way of seeing a site central to our local history.

Bruce lives in Fish Hoek with his wife and three daughters, and we look forward to what promises to be a fascinating and visually rich presentation.

Agenda of the AGM:
Welcome
Chair's Report
Treasurer's Report
Amendments to the Constitution
Nomination and election of the FHVHA Committee and Chair
FHV Museum Curator's Report

The AGM will be followed by the talk.

Membership and other fees:

Membership fees for 2026: R50.00 per person (now due). Payable at the FHV Museum or at the meeting
Members: R20.00 payable at the door
Visitors: R30.00 payable at the door
Please note that fees are cash only

Looking forward to seeing you all on 12 February, and encourage you to bring along a friend or two.

27/01/2026

Every fragment tells a story, and together, we make sure it’s heard. 🏺

GDH is honored to support 50 aspiring archaeologists by sponsoring their membership in Malawi Archaeology & Heritage Society. We aren't just funding memberships; we are fostering the talent that will safeguard our collective history. The window of opportunity is now open: you have 31 days from today to apply for your sponsorship. We look forward to building this bridge together. 🌍✨"

Because a bridge to the future is built with the hands of those who understand their past. Proud to support the heritage leaders of tomorrow. 🤝
Application form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScIuejxeJNhi14c33HcFDgcPf2TuIJryW-Ghi-io-gncL-s1Q/viewform
The window of opportunity is now open: you have 31 days from today to apply for your sponsorship. We look forward to building this bridge together. 🌍✨
Malawi Archaeology and Heritage Society

02/12/2025

At an event on 19 November 2025, Global Digital Heritage Afrika and South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) announced the South African component of LidArc, the Global Digital Heritage World LiDAR Initiative. The groundbreaking international project aims at mapping archaeological landscapes in unprecedented detail and at scale.
Not enough is known about the pre-colonial societies that lived in southern Africa (in places like Marathodi) and left behind the stone-walled structures that we can now observe with technology. These were large settlements that had political power structures, farming, metal production and connections to other settlements.
At the launch, presenters were Advocate Lungisa Malgas (SAHRA CEO), Prof Herbert Maschner (President of Global Digital Heritage), Emeritus Prof Simon Hall, Prof Amanda Esterhuyzen (UCT Archaeology), Prof Siddique Motala (GDHA) and Ben Mwasinga (SAHRA).
We will soon be looking for postgraduate students who wish to be part of this groundbreaking study. Contact us for more information.

Read about the launch in the UCT News article:
https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2025-11-28-uct-helps-unveil-hidden-pre-colonial-cities-with-lidar

12/11/2025

05/11/2025

Global Digital Heritage Afrika recently returned from a fascinating trip to the beautiful town of Nieu-Bethesda where the team 3D scanned Helen Martins' Owl House and the camel yard. Special thanks to the The Owl House Foundation, Amanda Snyman and all Owl House staff involved for your support and hospitality during our campaign.

10/10/2025

Peers Cave Virtual Experience is now online! Learn about this very important archaeological site by interacting with the 3D models, viewing the enhanced rock art, and viewing the 360 panoramas. Click here to enter the experience:
https://www.gdhafrika.org/PanoTours/PeersCave3D/index.htm

This was a collaboration between Global Digital Heritage Afrika, Iziko Museums of South Africa, Fish Hoek Valley Museum and UCTCivil.
Let us know what you think in the comments!