Welcome to Ladysmith in the Zulu Kingdom of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa!

Tourism & culture under one roof

The Emnambithi / Ladysmith Municipality has recently adopted a Tourism Development Strategy which findings and directives confirm the importance of identifying and promoting cultural heritage products in the region and creating linked experiences which encourage visits of more than a single day. These products are both varied in nature and widely spread throughout the region and encompass primary themes as diverse as the history, music and influence of Ladysmith Black Mambazo; the numerous battlefields and conflict histories of the region; natural phenomena and landscapes; local knowledge systems; development and contributions of towns, communities and industries; and struggle histories etc.

Their new strategy also identified that these diverse themes could be collectively marketed under the umbrella concept of the "Sounds of Ladysmith", which alludes to the various sounds that offer interpretive gateways for the Ladysmith experience.

The Sounds of Ladysmith Black Mambazo The Sounds of Battle The Sounds of Locomotives The Sounds of Nature The Sounds of Festivity.

This idea of a "Village of Sound" has been in the making for some time. It was to be housed in the Natal Government Railways Institute Building on Murchison Street in Ladysmith, originally secured by the Municipality for its historical importance and potential for office space. The NGR Building dates back to 1903 and was declared a National Monument in 1983. It was originally built to accommodate and provide leisure facilities for the employees of the Natal Government Railway and is an exceptional example of Victorian Architecture.

A Concept Proposal has been compiled and presented by consultants Haley Sharpe Southern Africa exploring the possibility of the establishment of the proposed "Ladysmith Cultural Hub".It is understood that intensive investigations around the feasibility, practical implications, visitor projections, financial implications, community involvement etc are still to be conducted as part of an initial development phase.

zoom NGR Institute Building

THE LADYSMITH CULTURAL HUB: A MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY INITIATIVE

This proposal recommends that the existing Siege Museum in totality, together with the elements of the now defunct Emnambithi Cultural Centre, and the exhibition dealing with Ladysmith Black Mambazo be relocated to the NGR Building on Murchison and Newcastle Roads to form the Ladysmith Cultural Hub. Previous proposals for using the NGR as an interpretive venue have started with the assumption that the Siege Museum would remain in its current location.

The NGR Building is in a prime location in the CBD of Ladysmith. It has sufficient space to house extensive exhibitions as well as public and educational facilities, retail, food and beverage. It is a prominent and architecturally worthy building, and forms an obvious focus on the street façade, and is easily accessible on foot or by vehicle.

There is ample parking on Newcastle Road, and parking for buses is possible to the rear of the building.

Grouping of the disparate themes and new and existing exhibitions is good tourism practice: it is unlikely that especially out-of-town visitors will by choice go to two separate venues,battlefields visitors, for example, are likely to visit the Siege Museum only, and ignore another cultural venue, however exciting it may be. A proposed exhibition around Ladysmith Black Mambazo is considered to have national and international appeal, but the importance to and influence on local communities must not be overlooked. The NGR Building has sufficient space to accommodate such an exhibition, as well as to allow for spaces for workshops, master classes and lectures. A noticeable growth in visitor numbers to the region and Museum facilities in particular is predicted after the establishment of the Cultural Hub education numbers especially could show a significant increase. Educational visitors presently comprise around 60% of visitors to the existing Siege Museum.

The proposed Hub will consolidate and collectively showcase the diversity of cultural heritage products in the region, potentially amplify public and community interest, and generate opportunities for new revenue streams.

The advantages to the community of a central Cultural Hub are self-evident: it would play a major role as a learning facility for schools, and could promote new and existing cultural heritage initiatives through, for instance talks, performances, exhibitions, craft outlets and workshops. Retail and coffee-shop amenities would encourage its use on a daily basis by workers or casual shoppers in the town, and it is envisaged that the Hub would ultimately contribute to the all-important "sense of community" so vital to the successful development of tourism enterprises.

Funding has been secured from Gijima KZN for the feasibility study and master development plan.

Contact

For more information on this exciting development contact Fifi Meyer on Tel. 036-6372992 or email on tourism@ladysmith.co.za

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