Upon entering the museum, guests are greeted by an impressive collection of vintage televisions, many of which were household staples in the mid-20th century.
Image: Ian Landsberg
A nostalgic journey awaits visitors at the Hisense Tevolution Museum, located in the heart of the city, where the history of television technology is on full display.
The museum offers a unique opportunity to step back in time to the 1970s, an era when television was a vastly different experience—one without remotes, touchscreens, or colour screens, and where tuning channels was a manual task.
Upon entering the museum, guests are greeted by an impressive collection of vintage televisions, many of which were household staples in the mid-20th century.
These early models, with their bulky designs and black-and-white screens, offer a sharp contrast to today’s sleek, flat-screen devices. It’s a glimpse into an era when watching TV involved more than just clicking a remote—it required manual effort, from adjusting the aerial to turning a dial to change channels.
The Hisense Tevolution Museum not only highlights the evolution of television technology but also celebrates the milestones that have shaped the way we consume media today.
From the first colour televisions to the transition from analog to digital signals, the museum showcases the groundbreaking advancements that have transformed television into the interactive, smart technology we know now.
Alex Chen, brand manager for Hisense Tevolution Museum explained where the idea originated from.
“It started when Premier Alan Winde met with the Vice President of Hisense in China. Hisense also has a factory in Atlantis where 1000 local people are employed, to locally produce its products, making it a proudly South African company.
“So because of all of this significance, we thought why not carry it forward and especially for the younger generation who does not know about how things operated back in the days.”
Inside of the Museum on Long Street, there is also a range of fridges and radios, ranging from the mid 1900’s until the most modern touch screen Hisense fridge, that can even offer users a recipe using ingredients found in the fridge.
The museum in collaboration with the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport, hosted an educational tour of its facilities for the students from Masibambisane High School in Delft, aiming to introduce students to the rich tradition of Chinese paper cutting art and the history of television broadcasting in South Africa, with the goal of building cultural bridges and expanding their horizons.
Li Zonghua, a renowned teacher from the Yuchen Scholarship Programme in China provided an overview of the history and cultural importance of paper cutting, this was followed by a live demonstration in which he taught the students how to create their own intricate paper cutting designs.
Students also had the opportunity to participate in a hands-on practice session, where they could develop their own designs, with one-on-one support to help them improve their techniques.
The students also had an opportunity to listen to an informative lecture on broadcasting history and television in South Africa by Tina-Louise Smit, a lecturer and PhD Candidate at UCT’s Centre for Film and Media Studies.
Visitors can explore the museum at 42 Long Street, Cape Town, from 9 am to 4 pm, Monday to Friday.
tracy-lynn.ruitersinl.co.za