Kimberley, the capital city of the Northern Cape Province, is the proud home of the Sol Plaatje Museum and Library. This was once the residential address of Solomon Tshekisho Plaatje, who was the first Secretary-General of the African National Congress, as well as the first black South African to write a book in English. Although a Tswana speaker, he was fluent in English, Dutch, German, Sotho, Zulu, French, Afrikaans and Xhosa, which was no mean feat at a time when non-white folk were not granted the rights to education that whites were.
The Sol Plaatje Museum and Library celebrates this man, as well as his life as a journalist, author, and politician. His home was declared a National Monument in 1992 and his grave (in West End Cemetery) in 1997. Both have made an enormous impact on the theme of overcoming racial inequality in South Africa.
The Sol Plaatje Museum and Library are managed by the Sol Plaatje Educational Trust and funded on a donations basis. Being situated in Kimberley means that this attraction is close to a number of other attractions, activities, and accommodation providers. This is a region rich in history and culture, promising visitors a unique peek into the story behind modern South Africa.