After the Mapungubwe gold was declared a national heritage collection in October 1997, the University of Pretoria (UP) became its official custodian as it played an important role in finding the gold and preserving it, making the university the host of the biggest ancient gold collection in Southern Africa. The university’s main task is to curate and preserve the gold collection which consists of three animal figurines namely a rhinoceros, bovine, and feline. Two other notable gold pieces are the ceremonial bowl and a sceptre. They also have a collection of gold bangles, nails, and foil. Apart from the gold items they have glass beads, iron and copper bangles as well as earthenware ceramic vessels also form part of the collection. 

The museum is situated in the University’s Old Arts Building. The two golden rhinos are the museum’s centre pieces and are placed in glass cabinets. It is believed that the two rhinos excavated at the Mapungubwe Hill were a representation of black rhinos, a symbol of leadership. Textual and photographic panels form part of the surroundings around the rhinos. There are ten display cases which contain gold artefacts, pottery and the jewellery. The cases also contain information panels stating the history of the artefact and its significance. The panels trace the history of Mapungubwe and the gold findings. 

The Iziko South African (SA) Maritime Centre opened in 1990. It is based at the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront (V&A Waterfront), Cape Town, Western Cape. The museum provides a history of shipping in the City and displays the oldest model of Table Bay harbour, which was created by prisoners and warders from Breakwater Prison in 1885. There are also photographs depicting Table Bay between the 17th to 20th centuries. 

The museum also displays a collection of ship models alongside photographs and displays of shipwrecks that occurred as well. There are two permanent exhibitions at the Centre namely,  “The Last Voyage of the Mendi: Death in Foreign Waters” which provides an overview of the SS Mendi and the John H. Marsh Maritime Research Centre which hosts about 20 000 photographs with 9 200 of them displaying ships from the 1920s to the 1960s. 

There is also an online service to assist with queries relating to the ships and handling orders for images of the ships. The Maritime Centre is open daily and requires an admission fee.