Who We Are

We, the Mandela Bay Heritage Trust (MBHT), are a small group in the Nelson Mandela Bay Merto made up of Architects, Historians, Designers and other interested parties that combined afford the Metro a wealth of experience with built heritage matters. Our principle aims are to preserve built heritage and educate the citizens of the Metro regarding built heritage, its value to us and why it is important.

  • We Protect: Any buildings and places in the area that are of notable heritage merit. This may include details, design, materials and even streetscapes from any era past. We know heritage is about more than just buildings and architecture, we believe historical and social associations and the natural environment are important heritage considerations.
  • We Educate: The general public on the importance of maintenance and protection of their heritage properties – be they commercial, industrial, or residential. We also are interested in creating awareness about issues such as history, culture, museums and tourism.

We believe that good architecture, good city making, and good building practises exist, and it is these principles that we want to see developed. The integration of new and old is a very important aspect to consider for the future planning of a city. Alterations, additions, and demolitions are on the rise and several important and beautiful buildings have been lost over time due to work being undertaken without the relevant permissions in place. These permissions do exist. They exist for a reason, and they need to be monitored and advised upon which is where we have an interest.