UCT Moves Saved Archives to New Home After 2021 Fire

When flames tore through the University of Cape Town's iconic Jagger Library in April 2021, thousands of irreplaceable books and archival materials faced destruction. Today, the painstaking work to save what survived has given those precious resources a new life.

The devastating Table Mountain fire gutted the 1931 building, once one of South Africa's most important research facilities. The library housed the university's archives, the renowned African Studies Collection, and a state-of-the-art reading room that served scholars from around the world.

But not everything was lost. Teams carefully removed salvageable materials and transported them to an office park in Mowbray, where conservators spent months painstakingly restoring each rescued item.

Those surviving archives now have a permanent home at Deneb House in Observatory, where researchers can access them by appointment. The collection continues serving its mission of preserving African knowledge and history.

The Bright Side

While the original Jagger building stands empty behind boarded windows and padlocked gates, the rescue effort represents a remarkable conservation success. Every book and document saved from the flames means preserved history that future generations can still study and learn from.

The university completed a "reimagining process" in 2022 to envision how the heritage-protected building might serve a contemporary African university. Heritage Western Cape, which must approve any changes to the 1931 structure, is encouraging UCT to move forward with restoration plans soon.

University spokesperson Elijah Moholola says they're taking time to get it right. The question isn't just how to repair a building, but how to create a space that meaningfully contributes to knowledge, encounter, and public engagement for a modern campus.

Insurance issues that previously complicated reconstruction have now been resolved. When restoration does begin, the building may look different than before, but its purpose of serving scholarship and preserving African heritage will continue.

The rescued archives waiting in Observatory prove that even after devastating loss, careful dedication can preserve knowledge for tomorrow.