# Minister of Arts and Culture

The minister of arts and culture is a minister of the Cabinet of South Africa who is responsible for overseeing the Department of Arts and Culture. As of 26 May 2014 the incumbent minister is Nathi Mthethwa and his deputy is Maggie Sotyu.
Between 1994 and 2004, the minister had an enlarged portfolio as minister of arts, culture, science and technology. The contemporary portfolio was created on 29 April 2004 on the appointment of President Thabo Mbeki's second cabinet, which included an independent minister of science and technology alongside the minister of arts and culture.

## Institutions

Apart from the Department of Arts and Culture, the following institutions also report to the minister:
* Afrikaanse Taalmuseum
* Artscape
* Freedom Park
* Iziko Museums of Cape Town
* Luthuli Museum
* Market Theatre
* Natal Museum
* National Arts Council
* National English Literary Museum
* National Film and Video Foundation
* National Heritage Council
* National Library of South Africa
* National Museum
* Northern Flagship Institutions
* Nelson Mandela Museum
* Performing Arts Council of the Free State
* Playhouse Company
* Robben Island Museum
* South African Geographical Names Council
* South African Heritage Resources Agency
* South African Library for the Blind
* State Theatre (South Africa)
* Windybrow Centre for the Arts
* Voortrekker/Ncome Museum
* War Museum of the Boer Republics
* William Humphreys Art Gallery

## List of past ministers
### Education, arts and science, 1949–1989

| Name | Term | Term | Party | Prime Minister |
| J.H. Viljoen | 1949 | 16 April 1958 | NP | D.F. Malan (I) (II) |
| J.J. Serfontein | 16 April 1958 | 8 October 1961 | NP | Hans Strydom (I) |
| J.J. Serfontein | 16 April 1958 | 8 October 1961 | NP | Hendrik Verwoerd (takes office after Strydom's death) |
| | 8 October 1961 | 1970 | NP | Hendrik Verwoerd (I) (II) |
| | 8 October 1961 | 1970 | NP | B.J. Vorster (takes office after Verwoerd's death) |
| | 1970 | 1981 | NP | B.J. Vorster (I) (II) (III) |
| | 1981 | 1989 | NP | P.W. Botha (I) (II) |

### Education and culture, 1989–1994

| Name | Name | Portrait | Term | Term | Party | Prime Minister | Prime Minister |
| | Piet Clase | | 1989 | 1991 | NP | | F.W. de Klerk (I) |
| | Piet Marais | | 1991 | 10 May 1994 | NP | | F.W. de Klerk (I) |

### Arts, culture, science and technology, 1994–2004

| Name | Name | Term | Term | Party | President | President |
| | Ben Ngubane | 11 May 1994 | 31 August 1996 | ANC | | Nelson Mandela (Government of National Unity) |
| | Ben Ngubane | 17 June 1999 | 29 April 2004 | ANC | | Thabo Mbeki (I) |

### Arts and culture, 2004–present

| Name | Term | Term | Party | President |
| Pallo Jordan | 29 April 2004 | 22 April 2009 | ANC | Thabo Mbeki (II) |
| Pallo Jordan | 29 April 2004 | 22 April 2009 | ANC | Kgalema Motlanthe (takes office after Mbeki resigns) |
| Lulama Xingwana | 22 April 2009 | 30 October 2010 | ANC | Jacob Zuma (I) (II) Cyril Ramaphosa (I) (II) |
| Paul Mashatile | 30 October 2010 | 7 May 2014 | ANC | Jacob Zuma (I) (II) Cyril Ramaphosa (I) (II) |
| Nathi Mthethwa | 24 May 2014 | Incumbent | ANC | Jacob Zuma (I) (II) Cyril Ramaphosa (I) (II) |