Indonesia–South Africa Historical Ties Highlighted Through Jakarta Exhibition

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s historical and cultural ties with South Africa are being explored through an interactive exhibition highlighting centuries of human movement across the Indian Ocean. Indonesia's Culture Minister Fadli Zon opened "There Was Something Here Before" an exhibition by Zahira Asmal, at Erasmus Huis in Jakarta on Friday.

Running from October 3 to December 23, 2026, the exhibition traces connections between Indonesia and Cape Town through more than three centuries of migration, community building, and cultural exchange. It also highlights the contributions of people from Indonesia who brought knowledge, traditions, beliefs, languages, food, and skills that helped shape life in Cape Town.

Fadli Zon expressed his appreciation to the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Erasmus Huis for providing a platform for cultural exchange through the exhibition. “The exhibition There Was Something Here Before invites us to revisit our shared history through art, research, and dialogue,” Fadli said.

According to the Minister, the exhibition connects Indonesia, the Netherlands, and South Africa within a broader historical and cultural framework, while encouraging visitors to explore layers of memory, communities, and history that have shaped cities. He also highlighted Sheikh Yusuf al-Makassari as an important figure in the historical relationship between Indonesia and South Africa.

Sheikh Yusuf was captured in 1683 after supporting Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa in resistance to the expansion of Dutch East India Company, or VOC, power in Banten, and was exiled to Sri Lanka in 1684 before being transferred to the Cape of Good Hope in 1693. Despite being far from his homeland, Sheikh Yusuf continued to teach and spread his religious teachings, becoming an important spiritual and community figure whose legacy remains visible in Cape Town.

Fadli said the history of Sheikh Yusuf provides an important foundation for strengthening cultural cooperation between Indonesia and South Africa. The Ministry of Culture is preparing an exhibition titled Sacred Journey of Sheikh Yusuf Al Makasari: Legacy of Knowledge, Freedom, and Humanity in Amsterdam, alongside an international academic seminar and film program, while also developing plans for an Indonesian cultural center and museum in Cape Town.

Dutch Ambassador to Indonesia Marc Gerritsen said the exhibition presents a shared history connecting Indonesia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands through archives, memories, objects, sounds, and photography. Exhibition curator and initiator Zahira Asmal said the project seeks to examine who built, cared for, and shaped cities, emphasizing the contributions of communities from Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, and other parts of Indonesia.

“There are always people, lives, journeys, struggles, and communities that came before what we see today,” Fadli said in closing, emphasizing the importance of preserving history for future generations. He expressed hope that the exhibition would encourage further dialogue and strengthen cultural relations among Indonesia, the Netherlands, and South Africa, including cooperation ahead of the commemoration of the 400th anniversary of Sheikh Yusuf al-Makassari.