Iziko, an isiXhosa word meaning ‘hearth’, embodies the spirit of a transformed institution and our version of ‘African Museums of Excellence’. The hearth is traditionally and symbolically the social centre of the home; a place associated with warmth, kinship and the spirit of the ancestors. As such, Iziko was envisioned as a space for all South Africans to gather, nourish body and soul, and share stories and the knowledge passed from one generation to the next. Here, Iziko Museums seeks to emulate the ‘hearth’ by creating receptive spaces for cultural interaction and dialogue – and we are proud to ignite connections between our shared history, our heritage and each other. Iziko seeks to celebrate our heritage while generating new cultural legacies for future generations, and a society that has moved beyond the shackles of the past. The three ‘flames’ in our ‘hearth’ logo represent the three collections brought together in our 11 museums: Social History (ochre); Art (red); and Natural History (green). Our collections are made accessible to learners and the public through education programmes, public programmes and exhibitions. While we have many permanent exhibitions, we regularly create and host temporary exhibitions so that the public can enjoy the more than one million items in our collections. We also arrange travelling exhibitions to other cities and play host to travelling exhibitions from other local and international museums.

A visit to any of our following 11 museums will take you on a magical journey of African heritage:

• Bertram House
• Bo-Kaap Museum
• Groot Constantia Manor House
• Koopmans-de Wet House
• Maritime Centre
• Michaelis Collection at the Old Town House
• Rust en Vreugd
• Slave Lodge and Social History Centre
• South African Museum and Planetarium
• South African National Gallery and Annexe
• William Fehr Collection at the Castle of Good Hope

Our libraries offer resources to researchers, students and knowledge seekers. The Art Library is based at the South African National Gallery Annexe, the Social History Library is based at the Social History Centre, and the Natural History Library is based at the South African Museum. Access to these resources is offered free of charge. Iziko has a large database of images and is actively digitising its collection. These images are available at a fee and on request. 

https://www.iziko.org.za/

‘1001 Seaforest Species’ is inspired by the ancient eastern tale, 1001 Arabian Nights. This tells the story of a king who, enraged by his wife’s infidelity, begins to execute virgins each morning after marrying them, until a clever girl begins to tell the king a captivating story that always ends in a cliff-hanger. Continuing the stories keeps her alive for 1001 nights, slowly softening the heart of the king until she is eventually pardoned. This ancient story acts as a model for ‘1001 Seaforest Species’. As humans, we have desecrated the natural world, killing parts of it every day for centuries. With this project we set out to dive deep into nature to chronicle the stories she tells us, so that people around the world can fall in love with Mother Nature again, treat her with the gentleness she deserves and give her the pardon she needs to regenerate the biosphere upon which all life depends. The goal of this ambitious project is to create a unique set of data, documenting 1001 species in our ‘sea change way’. By playing to our strengths, we aim to combine marine biology research with underwater tracking and nature documentation. This opens a window into the remarkable lives of these species, with the overarching narrative of the Great African Seaforest as a place of biological abundance and nature restoration. Over time the dataset will become a seed bank from which nature stories continually grow and develop. We will then nurture these fragile seedlings that will gradually cause human hearts to soften towards nature and thus ultimately keep nature alive.

https://saveourseas.com/project/1001-seaforest-species/

Stellenbosch University is committed to academic freedom, which is understood as the freedom to do academic work, namely teaching, learning, and research in the pursuit of knowledge. It includes the right of academic staff and students, individually and in collaboration, to reason, speak and write in accordance with what they believe to be true, free from undue institutional, political or commercial restraint, and subject to the standards of scholarship and research integrity appropriate to their academic disciplines. For over a century, SU has been a catalyst for knowledge, innovation and transformation – serving as a true asset to South Africa, the continent and the world. We are committed to excellence, inclusivity and collaboration, producing impactful research and nurturing future-ready graduates equipped to thrive in their careers, confront complex challenges and drive positive change in society. At our core, we are a research-intensive institution that values discovery, creativity and partnership. Our vibrant academic community is guided by values of excellence, compassion, equity, respect and accountability. We strive to be agile and responsive, fostering a culture where students, staff and partners pursue knowledge together, unlocking new futures and contributing to the advancement of society.

https://www.su.ac.za/en

South African Tourism is the tourism marketing arm of the South African government. Simply put, our job is to promote the country domestically and internationally, whether for leisure, business or events tourism. We are committed to meaningfully contributing to the government’s objectives of inclusive economic growth, sustainable job creation, and redistribution and transformation of the industry.

https://www.southafrica.net/

The NRF is an independent statutory body established through the National Research Foundation Act (Act No 23 of 1998), following a system-wide review conducted for the Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology (DACST). The new entity incorporated the functions of the research funding agencies that were previously servicing various sections of the research community, namely the former Centre for Science Development (CSD) of the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and the former Foundation for Research Development (FRD) that included several National Research Facilities.  As a government mandated research and science development agency the NRF funds research, the development of high-end Human Capacity and critical research infrastructure to promote knowledge production across all disciplinary fields. The goal of the NRF is to create innovative funding instruments, advance research career development, increase public science engagement and to establish leading-edge research platforms that will transform the scientific landscape and inspire a representative research community to aspire to global competitiveness. The NRF promotes South African research and innovation interests across the country and internationally, and together with research institutions, business, industry and international partners we build bridges between research communities for mutual benefit that contributes to National Development.

https://www.nrf.ac.za/

The Senckenberg – Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research was founded in 1817 by local citizens in Frankfurt under the name Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft, which translates as Senckenberg Society of Nature Research. Today, it is one of the most important research institutions in the field of biodiversity and, with the Frankfurt House, one of the largest natural history museums in Europe. The SGN is the supporting body for eight research institutes and three natural history museums, with nearly 900 employees, including over 300 scientists. The museums are located in Frankfurt, Görlitz, and Dresden.  According to its tradition, the main purpose of the Society is to conduct biological and natural research, and to make it accessible to everyone through publications, education and its museums. Today, its purpose is more important than ever, as interest and curiosity are growing worldwide and many biological questions remain to be answered, such as those relating to climate change and the protection of our planet.

https://www.senckenberg.de/en/

Advanced Laboratory Solutions (ALS) is a leading South African provider of laboratory instrumentation, delivering a comprehensive portfolio of analytical instruments, materials testing equipment, and sample preparation systems to a wide range of industries. Furthermore, as the authorised distributor for Nikon microscopes, ALS offers specialised expertise in advanced optical and digital microscopy solutions, supporting clients with world-class imaging technologies.

Nikon stereo microscopes provide excellent optical clarity and depth of field, making them ideal for crustacean applications such as species identification, larval development studies, dissections, and aquaculture quality control. These systems enable precise observation of fine morphological features and support both routine and advanced research.

Supported by ALS’s experienced technical team, customers benefit from expert guidance, training, and reliable after-sales support—ensuring optimal performance and long-term value in microscopy workflows.

https://www.advancedlab.co.za/ | info@advancedlab.co.za

The Company of Biologists is a not-for-profit publishing organisation dedicated to supporting and inspiring the biological community.  We are run by distinguished practising scientists. We exist to profit science, not shareholders. We inspire new thinking and support the community of biologists.

The focus of our activities is:

• publishing leading peer-reviewed journals
• facilitating scientific meetings and communities
• providing travel grants for young researchers
• supporting and funding research societies

https://www.biologists.com/

Arthropoda (ISSN 2813-3323) is an international, peer-reviewed, open ‎access journal specializing in the study of arthropods, with a focus on non-insect arthropods, published quarterly online by MDPI.

mdpi.com/journal/arthropoda