Groote Schuur Hospital Facility Board takes custodianship of Heart of Cape Town Museum

The Groote Schuur Hospital Facility Board, together with the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness, confirms that the Heart of Cape Town Museum, housed at the famous Groote Schuur Hospital, is now under the custodianship of the Facility Board. This custodianship includes the transfer of the full museum collection, ensuring its preservation and sustainable management into the future.

The updating and expansion of the museum’s focus will ensure that all patients, researchers, nurses, doctors, and allied health professionals who have made Groote Schuur a centre of excellence and medical innovation are recognised for their contributions. The museum will include exhibits from the first heart transplant alongside other notable firsts and medical innovations that Groote Schuur has nurtured.

While the first human heart transplant performed at Groote Schuur Hospital in 1967 remains a world-changing moment in medicine, the redevelopment will place this milestone within the broader context of the hospital’s long history of innovation and care. It will also highlight the contributions of those whose roles have too often been overlooked, including patients, families, and health professionals, and acknowledge that this progress took place against the backdrop of apartheid.

By safeguarding and expanding the museum, we ensure that the full story is preserved and told, celebrating triumphs while also recognising the inequalities of the time. The new vision is to create a space that inspires and educates future generations, showcasing Groote Schuur as a hospital of breakthroughs and humanity.

“This is not a celebration of surgical breakthrough only, but also a recognition of the resilience, sacrifice, and humanity of all those who contributed. It is a story that belongs to the people of the Western Cape and South Africa, whose courage and perseverance in the face of inequality made progress possible,” said Dr Shaheem De Vries, CEO of Groote Schuur Hospital.

Minister Mireille Wenger said: “Groote Schuur Hospital is one of the places where South Africa’s proud tradition of medical excellence comes to life. Our central hospitals are not just buildings. They are places of innovation, research, and world-first breakthroughs that have changed the course of medicine. This Heritage Day, we celebrate these institutions and the generations of doctors, nurses, researchers, and patients who have made history within their walls. They remind us that South Africa is home to world-class healthcare and scientific innovation.”

By protecting this legacy, we honour our heritage while recommitting ourselves to building a health system rooted in dignity, equity, and excellence. This is our promise: to remember history honestly, to celebrate progress, and to continue making access to healthcare a reality. For you.