Zeitz MOCAA - Museum of Contemporary Art Africa - is the first major museum in Africa dedicated to contemporary art from the continent and its diaspora. A new not-for-profit cultural institution established in 2013 through a partnership between the V&A Waterfront and Jochen Zeitz, the museum’s collection is housed in 9500-sq-m of custom-designed space over nine floors, carved out of the monumental structure of the historic Grain Silo Complex.

Originally built in the 1920s, the Grain Silo Complex - once the tallest building in South Africa - stored and graded corn from all over the country. By 2001, the silo fell into disuse and whilst the rest of the surrounding harbour became regenerated into a place of leisure and tourism, the silo was in need of a new purpose.

After the studio was invited to think about ideas for adapting the complex by the V&A Waterfront in 2011, Heatherwick Studio developed a concept to transform the silo’s tightly-packed concrete cellular structure into a new museum with spaces suitable for displaying art while retaining its industrial heritage. Construction began on the project in 2014 with the museum opening to the public in September 2017.