Community House Cape Town is one of South Africa’s most historically significant venue hire and conference destinations — a unique and historic site of living heritage at 41 Salt River Road, Salt River, Cape Town, that has been a site of activism and a home of struggle in Salt River since 1987. Purchased in the mid-1980s by the Western Province Council of Churches (WPCC) and the Social Change Assistance Trust (SCAT) as a new headquarters for anti-apartheid trade unions and civic and service organisations, the building became, and remains, the only site in South Africa that provided continuous space for organised resistance during the struggle era. Today, Community House houses 24 organisations focused on labour research, popular education, gender advocacy, HIV/AIDS education, environmental issues, youth development, media production, and union organisation — including the Trade Union Library and Archive, a labour and community history museum, and the Whole World Women Association, an NGO supporting refugee women founded in 2007. The building also offers affordable venue and hall hire for conferences, workshops, and meetings, with struggle-era murals decorating the walls — described by visitors as always a pleasure to visit with beautiful murals to remind visitors of the history the building holds.

The History: A Site of Activism Since 1987

In the mid-1980s, anti-apartheid trade unions and civic and service organisations began searching for a new headquarters for their resistance campaign. The Western Province Council of Churches and the Social Change Assistance Trust met this need by purchasing a dilapidated auto workshop in Salt River — an area known for its textile and light metal factories, and which marks the origins of industrial unions in the Western Cape province.

From that point, Community House became the location of countless meetings of workers and communities in struggle against the apartheid regime — meetings that took place in the very rooms now available for hire. Historical murals and interview clips are displayed throughout the building, which is still used as a centre of activism and training of new generation of activists.

The building’s status as a unique and historic site of living heritage reflects its dual identity: a working office building for 24 active organisations, and simultaneously a heritage site that documents and continues the history it represents.

Conference and Venue Facilities

Community House provides affordable venue hire for conferences, workshops, training sessions, and meetings — explicitly positioned as a budget-friendly alternative to commercial conference centres. Conference facilities are great and can be configured to suit the type of event one is having.

The venue works well as a conference centre as there are spaces that can be used for committees to caucus or for groups to break off and workshop different issues. The struggle-era displays provide a unique backdrop that serves as a history lesson for attendees.

Pricing is genuinely accessible, with rental rates kept quite low. Prospective clients should note the practical reality of a heritage NGO building: resources are almost non-existent, though the venue does provide tables and chairs. Groups are expected to do their own floor mopping and pack chairs away after events. This honest, no-frills model is part of what keeps rates affordable, and groups booking the space should plan for self-service setup and breakdown.

The Trade Union Library and Archive

Community House is centred on the Trade Union Library and its archive — a research resource documenting the history of organised labour in South Africa. The library serves as an important resource for researchers, students, and anyone interested in the history of the labour movement and anti-apartheid struggle.

The archive contains historical materials that document the role of trade unions and civil society organisations in South Africa’s path to democracy, making it a valuable educational resource alongside the venue’s conference facilities.

Resident Organisations

The building presently houses 24 organisations, spanning a wide range of civil society work:

• Labour research — including the Labour Research Service, a longstanding tenant
• Popular education
• Gender advocacy — including the Whole World Women Association, founded in 2007 as a support organisation for refugee women in Cape Town, established by a group of refugee women supported by South African women with first-hand experience of the need for comprehensive refugee services
• HIV/AIDS education
• Environmental issues
• Youth development
• Media production
• Union organisation

This concentration of civil society organisations gives Community House a continuous flow of activity, meetings, training sessions, and workshops. Booking a venue here means becoming part of an active community of practice that includes organisations like The Learning Trust, which has used Community House for its Western Cape Community of Practice sessions.

Location and Access

Community House is at 41 Salt River Road, Salt River, Cape Town, Western Cape, 7925 — in the historic industrial heart of Salt River, near the Salt River Market and Salt River Circle. The location in Salt River places the venue in an area with deep historical significance to the labour movement in the Western Cape.

Contact Information

Tel: 021 447 7319

General Enquiries: in**@****************rg.za
Building Manager: Jo**@****************rg.za
Administration: Ri****@****************rg.za

For venue and hall hire bookings, conference enquiries, and information about the Trade Union Library and Archive, visit Community House’s official website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What types of events can be hosted at Community House?
A: Community House provides affordable venue hire for conferences, workshops, training sessions, and meetings. The facilities can be configured to suit different types of events, and there are spaces available for committees to caucus or for groups to break off and workshop different issues.

Q: What is included with venue hire at Community House?
A: The venue provides tables and chairs for events. However, groups are expected to handle their own floor mopping and pack chairs away after events, as this self-service model helps keep rental rates affordable.

Q: What makes Community House historically significant?
A: Community House is the only site in South Africa that provided continuous space for organised resistance during the struggle era. Purchased in the mid-1980s by the Western Province Council of Churches and Social Change Assistance Trust, it has been a site of activism and home of struggle in Salt River since 1987, with countless meetings of workers and communities in struggle against the apartheid regime taking place in the very rooms now available for hire.

Q: What organisations are based at Community House?
A: Community House currently houses 24 organisations focused on labour research, popular education, gender advocacy, HIV/AIDS education, environmental issues, youth development, media production, and union organisation. Notable tenants include the Labour Research Service, the Trade Union Library and Archive, and the Whole World Women Association.

Q: What are the operating hours at Community House?
A: Community House is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm, Saturday from 8am to 4pm, and Sunday from 9am to 4pm.

Q: What is the Trade Union Library and Archive?
A: The Trade Union Library and Archive is a research resource documenting the history of organised labour in South Africa. It contains historical materials that document the role of trade unions and civil society organisations in South Africa’s path to democracy.

Q: Where is Community House located?
A: Community House is located at 41 Salt River Road, Salt River, Cape Town, Western Cape, 7925, in the historic industrial heart of Salt River near the Salt River Market and Salt River Circle.

Q: Are the struggle-era murals visible during events?
A: Yes, struggle-era murals decorate the walls throughout the building. Visitors describe the murals as beautiful reminders of the history the building holds, and the displays serve as a history lesson for event attendees.

Explore more affordable conference and meeting venues in Salt River and Cape Town through our Cape Town event venues directory, or browse all Western Cape event venue listings for venues across the province.