Purpose: Develop and monitor the implementation of policy, legislation and strategic programmes for the identification, conservation and promotion of cultural heritage for socio-economic development and social cohesion.

The branch consists of the following chief directorates:

• Chief Directorate: Heritage
• National Archives of South Africa

Chief Directorate: Heritage
Chief Director: Mr V Ndima

Functions:

• To increase the heritage skills pool through a human resources development strategy.
• To protect and preserve South African heritage using international instruments.
• To safeguard and promote South African Intangible Cultural Heritage through a national policy.
• To ensure alignment of heritage policy and legislation.
• To develop National Museums Policy.
• To develop Digitization Policy.
• Promote and create awareness of the significance of Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS) in collaboration with Department of Science and Technology.
• To commemorate and celebrate South African cultural heritage.
• To provide information on host cities in support of 2010 FIFA World Cup
• To transform the South African heritage landscape through standardization of geographical names.
• To establish and maintain a database of standardised geographical names in the country.
• To facilitate consultation on the standardisation of geographical names.
• To improve Institutional Performance Management In National Heritage Institutions
• To effectively protect National Heritage.
• Development of new heritage infrastructure.
• To protect, conserve and promote heritage objects.
• To support and strengthen the African World Heritage Fund.

Directorate: Institutional Development
Director: Mr I Langeveld

Directorate: Heritage Research, Policy and Legislation
Director: Mr M Makhubele

Directorate: Living Heritage
Director: Mr P Mthembu

Chief Director: Dr G Dominy

Purpose: To guide, sustain and develop the archival, heraldic, library and information resources of South Africa so that good governance is supported, socio-economic development is sustained and citizens are empowered through full and open access to these resources.

Functions:

• Improve service delivery to enhance Batho Pele principles.
• Promotion of national identity and reconfiguration of National Symbols.
• Promotion of access to information for the visually impaired by extending library services and by coordinating Braille production
• To improve the long –term protection and preservation of a national documentary heritage
• Improve governance of records management in organs of state.
• To develop transformation framework for libraries, Archives and Heraldry.
• To administer national legislation and provide oversight to institutions.
• To facilitate the establishment of new community libraries and upgrade the existing ones through conditional grant.
• To Improve information and physical security management systems.
• To preserve documentary heritage.
  

Directorate: Archives Services

Director: Ms M Gilder

Directorate: Records Management and Information Services

Director: Vacant

Directorate: South African Heraldry & Symbols Authority

Director: Mr T Mabaso

Directorate: National Film, Video and Sound Archives

Director: Vacant

Directorate: Library Policy and Coordination
Director: Mr P Kekana

Directorate: Executive Support and Planning
Director: Vacant