Slave Lodge, Historical museum in City Centre, South Africa.

Slave Lodge is a building on the corner of Adderley and Wale Streets in central Cape Town, now part of the Iziko Museums. Its narrow windows give it the look of a military structure. The east wing held a sick bay, and the rear facade on Parliament Street carries a gable with a British coat of arms designed by Anton Anreith.

The Dutch East India Company built the lodge in 1679 to house up to 500 enslaved people brought from East Africa, Madagascar, India and Southeast Asia. It held enslaved people until 1811, then served as government offices and from 1911 as the Old Supreme Court. In 1966 it was restored and opened in 1967 as the South African Cultural History Museum, renamed Iziko Slave Lodge in 1998.

The place takes its name from the enslaved people who were held here, and their stories shape how visitors understand the space today. Personal objects and accounts displayed here connect visitors directly to the lives and experiences of those who endured slavery.

The museum offers guided options and self-guided routes for visitors to explore at their own pace. It is helpful to allow adequate time to read through the materials, as the content addresses complex and emotionally significant subjects.

The building experienced multiple name changes throughout its existence, shifting from Government Offices to Supreme Court before becoming a memorial space. These name changes themselves tell a story about how society has reckoned with and reframed its understanding of this location.