Google goes ‘street’ with Mandela’s ex-prison

Google goes ‘street’ with Mandela’s ex-prison

South Africa’s Robben Island Museum has teamed up with internet giant Google for a virtual experience with a difference.

The museum is renowned for sharing the history of the island, which served as an apartheid-era maximum-security prison for political activists, most notably Nelson Mandela. The museum has now been included in Google’s Heritage Collection.

The island has been mapped using the Street View technology that will now offer users of Google Maps 360-degree panoramic views of the island.

Along with this, Google now also offers a virtual tour of the selected parts of the island, with sections accompanied by a video narrated by former political prisoner–turned-tour guide Vumsumzi Mcongo.

Along with the island being mapped by Google, its archival documents including letters from prisoners is also available online as part of Google’s Heritage Collection website, with an Android app also now available.

These former political prisoners give insight to their time on the island in the collection of stories, entitled ‘In Their Own Words’.

Google also takes visitors inside the cottage that Pan Africanist Congress leader Robert Sobukwe called home during his six-year stint on the island.

But amidst concerns that the initiative might actually stem visitor numbers to the island, the museum’s CEO Sibongiseni Mkhize says he’s not worried.

“Actually we’re expecting the opposite,” Mkhize said.

“The way things are today, even when people want to book hotels or visit places, they rely very much on the internet and visiting online to have an idea of what [to expect]. So we’re expecting people to do the same for Robben Island Museum.”

Google’s collaboration with Robben Island Museum should see more visitors taking the ferry to the island.

Over the last five years visitor number have increased from 249 000 paid adult visitors in 2010 to 273 000 paid adult visitors in 2014.

Latest News

  • Cruise

P&O rescues Rotary volunteers after collapse of Air Vanuatu

P&O Cruises Australia has answered a plea for help from a group of young Australian Rotary volunteers, stranded in Vanuatu following the collapse of Air Vanuatu. The students, many of them teenagers from Albury, NSW, were volunteering for a youth project run by the Hive Rotary Club Australia when the airline abruptly cancelled all flights, […]

  • Destinations

Intrepid continues expansions with launch of first DMC in Jordan

Intrepid has increased its presence in the Middle East with the opening of its first destination management company in Jordan. Based in Amman, the local team will operate Intrepid’s range of nine experiential small group tours in Jordan from this summer, with a view to expanding the range for 2025 and beyond. Zina Bencheikh, managing […]

  • Appointments

Minor hotels appoints Puneet Dhawan to key Asia role

Global hotel owner and operator Minor Hotels has appointed Puneet Dhawan as head of Asia as the group plots its growth in Asia and India. From July, Dhawan will be responsible for the performance of all Minor Hotels properties in Asia, working in close collaboration with the Minor Hotels senior leadership team and will report […]

  • Appointments

Abercrombie & Kent and Crystal appoint Evon Ler to director of sales, Asia

Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group have announced that Evon Ler will join them in the new role of director of sales, Asia. She will work closely with Tony Archbold (VP, Sales, APAC, Crystal) and Susan Haberle (VP, Sales & Partnerships, APAC, A&K) with trade support across the region. Ler comes to the A&K family with more […]