Robben Island’s plan to diversify offerings

Robben Island Museum's finances have taken a heavy knock since its ferry broke down, forcing it to hire private vessels to take visitors to and from the island. PICTURE: THOMAS HOLDER

Robben Island Museum's finances have taken a heavy knock since its ferry broke down, forcing it to hire private vessels to take visitors to and from the island. PICTURE: THOMAS HOLDER

Published Nov 6, 2014

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Cape Town - The Robben Island Museum “is not a good story to tell yet, but it’s on the right track”. These were the upbeat words of chief executive Siboniseni Mkhize who addressed media on the troubled island to announce its unqualified audit report, and to talk about the future of one of Cape Town’s top tourist attractions.

He said on Wednesday that the ailing museum was heading out of financial mismanagement and into an exciting future of hospitality and sports offerings.

Mkhize took over as head of the Robben Island Museum in 2011, and said his team had inherited a tough situation as maintenance had been neglected for years.

“At the moment we are using only 30 percent of the island,” he said. “We need to diversify our offerings.”

Robben Island Museum’s finances have taken a heavy knock since its ferry broke down, forcing it to hire private vessels to take visitors to and from the island.

The R26-million ferry Sikhululekile, which was bought new six years ago, has been out of the water almost as much as in it, and its repairs have run into millions.

Pending a meeting with the Robben Island council, it will in all likelihood be sold, said spokesman Quinton Mtyala.

The museum also has to generate its own electricity, desalinate its own drinking water and manage its own sewage – all services that the municipality provides on the mainland.

While R60m of its funding comes from an Arts and Culture Department grant, R80m has to come from ticket sales.

In the past financial year its expenditure was R150m, thanks to tired infrastructure and a broken boat. However, there was at least a 15 percent increase in revenue generated thanks to a raise in ticket prices.

Mkhize said part of his business strategy was to diversify the island’s offerings, so diversifying income streams to the museum.

“But first, we need reliable transport. We are in the process of procuring a boat.”

He said finding a ready-made boat would be faster, but could come with hidden faults. He said they might opt instead for a custom-made boat to be built – although that would take over a year.

 

Mkhize said that when it came to branching out and offering more than just a museum tour, such as overnight stays, conferences and sporting events, he had to bear in mind the island’s history. “We have to retain the integrity and authenticity.”

Mkhize also repeated that despite rumours, the island was in no danger of losing its status as a World Heritage Site due to mismanagement.

His address coincided with the opening of an official World Design Project installation on the island called Ukusela eKapa – “drink Cape Town in”. Ten thousand clay cups are lined up in a block, with different colours spelling out “46664” – Nelson Mandela’s prisoner number. Potter Hennie Meyer was there to talk about the project.

“We made 10 000 ceramic cups this year, then took them to Capetonians and visitors in the city,” he said. “We asked them to imprint their hands on the soft clay.”

Each cup bears the imprint of a hand squeezed into it, with a name and age written underneath.

“We squeezed in every place imaginable,” Meyer said. “We squeezed in all 24 subcouncils, on trains and buses. We got security guards and CEOs, hospitalised children and surgeons, illiterate people and professors.”

When the installation of cups is dismantled at the end of this month, the 10 000 participants will get to take a cup home bearing the handprint of a stranger.

“It’s about connecting people through design – like a virtual handshake.”

Cape Argus

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