{"id":857065,"date":"2026-04-20T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=857065"},"modified":"2026-04-20T15:55:49","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T13:55:49","slug":"plan-to-turn-iconic-prison-in-south-africa-into-guest-houses-with-r70-million-upgrade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/government\/857065\/plan-to-turn-iconic-prison-in-south-africa-into-guest-houses-with-r70-million-upgrade\/","title":{"rendered":"Plan to turn iconic prison in South Africa into guest houses with R70 million upgrade"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Robben Island’s iconic prison, where the late former president Nelson Mandela was housed for 18 of his 27 years in prison, is receiving a R70 million upgrade to transform former prison guards’ homes into accommodation for visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“These houses, once symbols of surveillance and control within the apartheid prison system,
will adaptively be reused to serve contemporary social, economic, and environmental objectives while
preserving their historical integrity,” said Robben Island Museum (RIM).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

RIM said the repurposing of the guards\u2019 houses demonstrates its ability to balance heritage conservation with sustainable development. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

By transforming historic structures for contemporary use, the Museum said it is ensuring that the Island remains a living heritage site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The prison is located off the coast of Cape Town, operating today as a museum and UNESCO World Heritage Site, attracting many tourists who visit for day trips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the island only offers limited accommodation options, none of which include former guard houses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Income from overnight stays helps subsidise conservation work, educational programmes, and the ongoing maintenance of the World Heritage Site, reducing reliance on external funding sources,” said RIM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They emphasised the importance of protecting their outstanding universal value while ensuring guests enjoy high-quality, comfortable, and authentic experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The accommodation provides space for researchers, educators, artists-in-residence, students, and
staff who are engaged in heritage, memory work, and dialogue about democracy and human rights,” said RIM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ex-Political Prisoners Association (EPPA) Secretary-General Mpho Masemola told Cape Talk Radio<\/a> that the group had been excluded from the transactions and plans on Robben Island, despite an MOA signed in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said that Robben Island could be more than a commercial entity, agreeing that the guard houses and tours should be revamped to enhance tourism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, he also said he believes political prisoners, like him, should benefit from business activities on Robben Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plans to enhance tourism<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The current offering for tourists on the island includes an overnight stay at:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • A guest house that used to be the governor’s residence on Robben Island, accommodating up to 15 guests and featuring a small conference room.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • A versatile learning centre offering dormitory-style lodging for up to 84 individuals, in addition to single and twin rooms for smaller groups. This facility is perfect for educational camps and team-building activities, and was formerly a medium-security prison.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Additionally, the island offers a wedding chapel, clubhouse, sports amenities, and two halls available for functions or conferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Currently, walking tours around the island are priced at R1,000 per South African adult, and R1,400 for non-South Africans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The RIM has secured access to over R70 million specifically earmarked for upgrading and repurposing facilities related to accommodation and other functions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Additionally, the Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has committed R140 million over three years, ending in March 2027, for the refurbishment, maintenance, and repair of the island’s infrastructure, which is under the department’s jurisdiction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has also designated a capital budget to enhance the island’s infrastructure and facilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In 2023, the RIM increased its annual maintenance budget by 37% to R152 million to improve deteriorating infrastructure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In 2025, Council Chairperson Saths Cooper announced that the island would undergo a complete shutdown for maintenance and upgrades for two months, from June to August.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cHosting G20 dignitaries at Robben Island is deeply symbolic, allowing the world to witness the legacy of those who sacrificed everything for freedom and the country that rose in their honour,” said RIM in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      In addition to these efforts, RIM’s new approach to repurposing the former guards’ houses is said to support economic sustainability by generating revenue that contributes to the museum’s long-term financial viability.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Robben Island’s maximum-security prison is receiving a R70 million upgrade to transform former prison guards’ homes into accommodation for visitors.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":127,"featured_media":857124,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[157,25184,25185],"class_list":["post-857065","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-government","tag-rim","tag-robben-island","tag-robben-island-prison"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857065","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/127"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=857065"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857065\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":857772,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/857065\/revisions\/857772"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/857124"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=857065"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=857065"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=857065"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}