The William and Yvonne Jacobson Digital Africana Program is a collaborative initiative between the University of Cape Town and Stanford University, whereby a selection of the African historical maps held in UCT Libraries are digitised and made available on the Maps of Africa site as well as on the UCT Libraries’ own website and similarly, digitised maps from the Stanford University collection shall be accessible via the UCT Libraries’ discovery platform.

  • [A map of Africa] :

    The map shows the continent of Africa with its kingdoms demarcated by coloured borders. It includes a "Table of the European possessions in Africa" in the lower left corner detailing British, Portuguese, Dutch, French, Spanish, Danish and Genoese holdings. The map depicts Madera [Madeira], the Canaries, Cape Verd [Verde], Fernand [Fernando] Po, Annobon or Good Year Island, Ascension Island, St Helena and George Island (a small rock) in the Atlantic Ocean. To the north, the map shows the Mediterranean coastline of the continent, the Red Sea, a portion of Arabia, the Strait of Babelmandel and the island of Socotra. It also shows the Indian Ocean islands of Amirante, Alphons, Demba [Pemba], Zanguebar [Zanzibar], Monfira, Komoro [the Comoros], Madagascar, Bourbon, Ile de France [Mauritius], Amsterdam, St Paul, Ile de Juan de Lisboa, New Island and the Banks of Nazareth.
  • [Map of Bredasdorp]

    Map of the division of Bredasdorp (with part of Swellendam division) giving cadastral details including farm boundaries, farm names and quitrent numbers. Also shown are the villages of Bredasdorp, Napier and Elim, the site of the wreck of the "Barbara Gordon", the Cape Agulhas lighthouse, rivers, pools, marshes and trigonometrical stations.
  • [Map of land allotted at the Cape of Good Hope giving the numbers of the plots and also the names of the owners]

    Shows Table Mountain and the surrounding mountains in relief as well as the demarcation, size and ownership of farms on the south eastern side of the mountains and along the Liesbeeck River.
  • [Map of Matabeland, the territory of the Matabili people, with part of southern Mashonaland]

    The map shows part of Rhodesia [Zimbabwe] from Fort Salisbury [Harare] in the north to the Limpopo River in the south. The map features hills, mountains, rivers, tribal districts, kraals, wagon tracks, routes taken by travellers, traditional tracks and telegraph lines.
  • [Insurance plan of Cape Town, Cape Colony, South Africa]

    This plan is numbered Sheet 13. The sheet shows details of the construction and use of buildings within the area bounded by Queen Victoria, Bloem, Bree and Wale Streets. The sheet records street names, widths and numbers; fire-protection facilities (including the location of salt and fresh water hydrants); materials, shape, height, placement and use of buildings; the location of openings, types of stored materials and areas of high-risk activites on industrial sites.
  • Bird's eye view of Muizenberg

    Lithographic copy of a watercolour pictorial view of Muizenberg showing houses, roads, bridges, mountain and beach with beach huts and swimmers. Below the painting is a plan showing plots in the Muizenberg (Lakeside) Estate area between the Main Road and "Muizenberg Lake".
  • Cape Town City Foreshore plan

    Map shows proposals for the Cape Town Foreshore.
  • City of Cape Town :

    T.P.R. ; 1653
  • [Map of Barrydale]

    Map of the division of Barrydale giving cadastral details including farm boundaries, farm names and quitrent numbers. Also shown are the village of Barrydale, rivers, springs, pools and trigonometrical stations.
  • [Map of Swellendam]

    Map of part of the division of Swellendam giving cadastral details including farm boundaries, farm names and quitrent numbers. Also shown are the villages of Swellendam and Port Beaufort, rivers, springs, marshes and trigonometrical stations.
  • Barkly East

    1st ed.
  • Beaufort West

    This map forms part of the Imperial map of the Cape Colony.