Jenny Blair Hunter
The old adage "investment in human capital pays rich dividends" has gone one step further to "a high-tech economy requires higher learning." This means that to benefit from the gains of new technologies, school children must have high level skills in mathematics and science, at both primary and high school levels.
Over the last few years 15,000 science museums have sprung up all over the globe. South Africa was quick to follow this trend. The Sci-Bono Discovery Centre opened in Newtown, Johannesburg in April 2005 and during its first year had over 40,000 visitors, the majority school children, passing through its doors.
Most of the other global science museums are primarily tourist destinations and there are two such museums like that in South Africa: one at the Canal Shopping Centre in Cape Town and the other at the Gateway Shopping Centre in Durban.
Sci-Bono was initially marketed to public, private and township schools in the four neighbouring provinces. But the second prong of their marketing strategy will be aimed at the tourist sector.
© Sci-Bono Discovery CentrePart of the regeneration of Johannesburg's downtown area, the Sci-Bono Discovery Centre is housed in the former Electric Workshop, built in 1906 to store the turbines for the city's tram system.
The museum has a number of interactive exhibits, an education centre complete with computers and a coffee shop. Hung from the ceiling is a replica of the Patterson bi-plane, the first plane to be flown in South Africa in 1911, and a 1970s supersonic Cheetah jet.
Access
Sci-Bono Discovery Centre
Corner of Miriam Makeba and President Street, Newtown
Johannesburg
Gauteng
2107
Tel: 011 639 8400
Hours: 9am-5pm Mon-Fri; 9am-4.30pm Sat & Sun
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