Mr Kenny Vusi Xaba, or fondly known as Baba Kenny or Shwabada arrived at the KZN Museum in 1999. He has been part of the many changes that have been made throughout the exhibition spaces. He has made a very direct mark on the Museum, as he has been responsible for most of the paint work in all the display spaces. He is a master of his craft, his ability to square off an area and paint with precision is a lost art and will leave big shoes to fill.

In a personal capacity, we are going to miss Kenny dearly, his upbeat personality, mischievous sense of humour, humility and impressive dance moves will leave an empty space in our department. We wish Kenny all the best in this new chapter in his life. I hope he is able to rest, stay healthy and spend lots of time with his grandchildren (and bring them in for visits at the Museum to show them all he has done).

There is a misconception that museums are static spaces, this couldn’t be more wrong, our institution is constantly changing and evolving. It is an odd space where we try to preserve the past and still make way for the future, change means new life and we wish Kenny well on this new change of life.

I love my job because I am a people’s person and I love being challenged,

being at the front desk gives me the opportunity to interact with different people on daily basis

and this teaches me important skills of dealing with different people from different backgrounds.

This, for me, is part of a never ending journey of discovery.

Msizi Maphanga

My journey at the KZN Museum started in 2014 when I took on a 6 month internship. I registered for a National Diploma in Eco-Tourism Management at the Durban University of Technology and work integrated learning was required to complete the course.

After 4 months of in-service training, I got the opportunity to work for the museum on contract as a weekend Gallery Guide and the contract was renewed until 31 December 2016. I then got a full-time contract to work as a Contract Information Officer/Gallery Guide from 1 January 2017 until 31 August 2017. During all these contracts I was working under the Department of Education of the Museum. From 1 October 2017 until 30 June 2019 I took on the role of Contract Receptionist, the post became a permanent from 1 July 2019 until now under the KZM Museum’s Marketing team.

My duties include receiving the visitors to the museum and all administrative tasks relating to this. I also keep a detailed record of all visitor statistics and compile these reports on a quarterly basis. I am also responsible for the museum shop and I also assist with security related matters.

The Museum’s marketing department aims at maximising the number of visitor coming through the doors of the KZN Museum, as well as enhancing the image and building the brand of the KwaZulu-Natal Museum. I am currently studying towards a National Diploma in Marketing Management at UNISA.