City of Johannesburg

Johannesburg Development Agency

No 3 Helen Joseph Street PO Box 61877 Tel +27(0) 11 688 7851 (O)
The Bus Factory Marshalltown Fax +27(0) 11 688 7899/63
Newtown 2107 E-mail: info@jda.org.za
Johannesburg, 2000

www.jda.org.za
www.joburg.org.za
To: All news editors
For immediate release
09 February 2023

JOHANNESBURG CITY LIBRARY RECEIVING MUCH NEEDED RENOVATIONS

Last month marked the commencement of the 2023 academic year with book lovers
and those seeking to broaden their knowledge looking to take the opportunity to utilise
libraries across the City of Johannesburg.

Libraries remain critical in improving literacy, encouraging young and old to partake
in the joy of reading, and providing access to the information crucial for extracting the
most from modern-day living.

The City of Johannesburg appointed the Development Agency (JDA) to implement

renovations of the Johannesburg City Library, an iconic building on Albertina Sisulu
Road and Pixley Ka Isaka Seme Street.

The Johannesburg City Library first opened in 1935. It has over 1.5 million books and
more than 250 000 members. Located on the western edge of Beyers Naude Square

Directors
L Brenner (Chairperson) M Mongane (CEO) LB Matshidze N Ntingane S Marota A Dreyer M Malinga W Thwala P Raphalalani C Whittle R Shirinda (Company Secretary)
Registration Number: 2001/005101/07
in the inner city, the library is a protected heritage building that opened its doors on 6
August 1935.

The JDA is the city’s implementing agent and is undertaking renovations and
refurbishments of the roof repairs and fire protection systems upgrades to the library.
The library building remains a landmark in the city. The scope of works of the project
includes the following:

• Roof leaks solutions, such as replacement of damaged roof tiles;

waterproofing; sealing of gutters and downpipes and replacement of damaged
skylights.
• Fire detection solutions and fire protection elements upgrades.
• Gas suppression system commissioning.
• Fire signage

The JDA’s objective is to deliver this public infrastructure project using labour-
intensive methods with the aim of job creation and income generation. A total of 2
SMMEs were on the project, and the total SMME expenditure was approximately R
904 626,36.

“The Johannesburg City Library is a heritage asset that adds texture and beauty to
our city. We hope that once the renovations are complete, the library and information
services will play a vital role in the lives of all the residents of the City of
Johannesburg,” JDA CEO Mokgema Mongane said.

As is the case of the building, the contents are invaluable and represent many years
of hard work, dedication, and knowledge.
The internationally recognised Harold Strange Library of African Studies is one of the
notable offerings at the Johannesburg City Library. It consists of vast collections of
material on all aspects of the history and culture of Southern Africa.

It includes manuscripts, maps, private papers, books, pamphlets, and photographs.

Of great interest to researchers are the collections of African languages, literature and
ethnology and the history of the Witwatersrand, gold mining and Johannesburg.

The newspaper section provides bound and microfilmed newspapers dating from the
early 19th century and a cuttings collection covering a broad range of topics.

ENDS

Issued by: Kenneth Nxumalo

Johannesburg Development Agency

For more information:

Elias Nkabinde
Email: enkabinde@jda.org.za
076 961 8022
www.jda.org.za