Histories of Government is a research and public-facing programme that examines how South Africa’s government institutions were built, transformed, and contested over time—and why this history matters for reform today. 

Rather than treating the “state” as an abstract entity, the programme focuses on the actual institutions of government—departments, agencies, and policy systems—that shape everyday governance and economic decision-making. South Africa’s democratic transition after 1994 involved not only political change but the rapid reconstruction of public institutions, many of which were redesigned under intense pressure, with uneven results. 

By tracing the institutional histories of key sites such as Home Affairs, SARS, the National Treasury, and the long-running policy field of Land Reform, the programme shows how different departments followed distinct paths, faced different political and administrative challenges, and developed varying levels of capacity, resilience, and vulnerability. 

Understanding these histories is crucial. Too often, policy debates and reform efforts ignore institutional memory, leading to repeated mistakes, short-lived reforms, and ineffective interventions. The Histories of Government programme treats historical analysis not as background, but as foundational knowledge for better policymaking. 

Drawing on unique access to senior public servants, archival material, and firsthand accounts, the programme aims to build a living archive of institutional knowledge—preserving how decisions were made, what worked, what failed, and why. This archive will support researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, helping future reforms be grounded in a deep understanding of how South Africa’s government institutions actually function and evolve.