Five local cultural landmarks that have become casualties of Covid-19

THE APARTHEID MUSEUM

Before the pandemic, the Johannesburg museum was recording up to 1,000 visitors a day, most of them foreign tourists. Like other cultural institutions, it had to shut down in March 2020 when SA adopted its first Covid-19 lockdown.

It re-opened in January 2021, but having sold no pre-booked tickets for 10 months and with foot-traffic visitor numbers very low due to the ongoing outbreak, it was too cash-strapped to operate and shut down again.

THE FUGARD THEATRE

SA's theatre fraternity reacted with heartbreak to the announcement in March this year that Cape Town's famous Fugard Theatre would close its doors for good.

Named after the playwright Athol Fugard, the theatre was established in 2010 and produced many landmark productions — such as musicals King Kong (2017) and Kat and the Kings (2012).

TICKETPRO DOME

Gauteng's Ticketpro Dome will be closing in September. It's been sold by its owners - the Sasol Pension Fund - to a third party that is not involved in putting on events.

The Dome opened in 1998 as an event space for many international artists and exhibitions, fairs and sporting tournaments.

MANDELA HOUSE MUSEUM

It was announced in November last year that the house, which is a major tourist attraction on Vilakazi Street in Orlando West, Soweto, was to be liquidated and its assets sold to pay off debtors.