Bakone Malapa Museum

Bakone Malapa Museum

Directly translated the words Bakone Malapa mean "Bakone homestead" which is exactly what this museum aims to offer. The museum (which is 9km outside of Plokwane on the R37 to Burgersfort) is an open air living museum of a typical Northern Sotho tribe, the Bakone people, depicting their day to day lives and offering a hands on experience of life in the "Limpopo" province as it was 250 years ago. The museum is built on the original site of an ancient villiage, although archeological excavations in the area show that many years before that the area was occupied by the Ndebele and the Shangaan people. The museum offers insight into their manufacturing of pottery, wood carving, bead work, traditional clothing, grass weaving, drum-making, hunting weapons and basketry. All of these things are still made at the museum today, and can be purchased at the curio shop on your way out. Throughout the day there are also various demonstrations of other traditional practices, such as fire making, maize grinding and beer brewing. There are two lapas at the museum which contain historical artifacts and exhibits of this ancient tribe and area.

The museum is open daily from 8:00 to 16:00 excluding public holidays.
For more information and to organise tours please contact the museum on Tel: +27-15-2952432