University of the Witwatersrand

Why go

The university offers a way into the intellectual history behind the city’s mines and fossil discoveries. The Great Hall on East Campus provides an architectural anchor, while the Origins Centre on West Campus makes African origins a focused reason to visit.

What to look for

• The Great Hall is a historic landmark on the Braamfontein campus.
• The Origins Centre interprets African origins on West Campus.

The full story

The university’s roots lie in mining, the industry that also drove Johannesburg’s growth. This connection helps explain why geology and the study of fossils became important parts of its identity. Its scholars were involved in the investigations at Sterkfontein that transformed understanding of early human ancestry. Wits also reflects the tensions of education under apartheid. The Extension of University Education Act of 1959 restricted Black student registrations, while students and graduates included prominent critics of the system. Its history therefore includes both exclusion and opposition to it. The university extends across Braamfontein and Parktown, so its collections do not form a single museum complex. A visit to the Origins Centre gives a defined introduction to African origins; the wider university provides the institutional context behind that subject.

Useful to know

• Identify the campus and museum you want before setting out; their entrances and visiting arrangements differ.
• Bring identification for campus security and check the chosen museum’s own visitor guidance.

Your next visit

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