IMPLEMENTATION OF MUSEUM EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES THROUGH INFORMATION COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY: BUILDING ON THE GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOAL 4

Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) calls for the development of inclusive and quality lifelong learning. This goal is underpinned by ten targets, with Target 7 having the greatest resonance in the museum world. This goal drives museums to protect and safeguard the world's cultural and natural heritage by giving visitors the opportunity to express, experience and participate in their own cultural expressions, as well as in the culture of others. Although the target includes other areas that are not directly related to museums, it advocates for sustainable development and cultural ethos-based lifestyles. Modern museums, such as the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, have expressed a desire to include education as an empowerment tool in their holdings. As a result, there is a true need to improve education as a functional role of museums in terms of content delivery efficiency. Presently, museums are challenged to create online exhibitions of the highest calibre to attract visitors and maintain an essential global presence, and educate their audience on cultural issues. This conceptual paper makes the argument that South African museums have the potential to be conducive information communication technology (ICT) platforms to facilitate cultural education. This, in turn, contributes to fulfilling Target 7 of SDG4, and illustrates that South African museums are in the best position to implement lifelong learning for today's society.