“The earliest record of anything written by any Bantu-speaking African in his language in South Africa was made at the small printing press at Old Lovedale.”
– AC Jordan, a prominent isiXhosa writer published by Lovedale Press.
Established in 1841, Lovedale Missionary Institute became a widely revered missionary school and training college in southern Africa.
Lovedale educated Ellen Kuzwayo, Steve Biko and George Pemba, and a wealth of others with a notable influence on the intellectual, political, cultural and literary landscape of South Africa.
The Lovedale Press's archive is the product of this remarkable institution. The story begins with the arrival of a small printing press at the older Tyhume Mission in 1823. Its story is of Black writers, literature and history. Having survived successive colonial wars, the 1913 Native Land Act, and the brutal imposition of the Bantu Education Act under apartheid, this institution of remarkable stature sadly remains under the continual threat of closure.
When its owners auctioned off the press in 2001, 18 former employees bought it, hoping that the government, the corporate sector and the public would support their efforts to keep its profound heritage alive. Of the initial 18, seven have died and eight are no longer actively involved in running the business. Only three remain. These three steadfast custodians have had to work without pay for years.