The Waterfront's old grain silo has been transformed into this state-of-the-art museum for the contemporary Southern African art collection of entrepreneur Jochen Zeitz, as well the museum's own collection and loaned works. Opened in September 2017 MOCAA is still finding its feet as an exhibition space, but already provides a dazzling survey of art from across the continent and beyond.
Easily the most striking thing about the museum is the building in which it is housed. When it opened in 1921 the grain silo was South Africa's tallest building. Disused since 1990, the structure has been spruced up outside and utterly transformed inside in an imaginative design by the studio of British architect Thomas Heatherwick. An atrium has been carved out of the 42 elevator tubes in the building's heart, exposing sections of their circular structure rising up eight stories from the basement to a rooftop sculpture garden.
There's some 9500 sq metres of space for art in MOCAA split over 80-plus galleries. It can be a confusing place to navigate, but this does allow for a sense of discovery – and there's plenty of interest to see here.
