Electronics manufacturer Hisense has opened a museum of television, the Tevolution Museum, in Cape Town.

In partnership with the Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport and the South Africa Sendinggestig Museum, entry to the museum is free of charge.

Visitors can explore decades of TV evolution including nostalgic wooden box TVs with bunny ear antennas to the newly launched 110-inch UX display. The museum’s exhibits are hands-on, with many screens linked to popular gaming consoles, including Microsoft’s latest Xbox Series X.

The 110-inch UX TV is one of the largest screens available commercially in South Africa.

The UX model is produced at Hisense’s Atlantis factory, in the Western Cape, which employs more than 1 000 South Africans. The factory celebrated its eleventh year of operation this year.

Hisense has injected more than R350-million into expanding its operations at the Atlantis Special Economic Zone and plans to boost exports of certain product categories to the UK soon.

Visitors to the museum will also be able to experience the futuristic Laser Cinematic Room with its vertical projectors, as well as explore a high-technology exhibition that will feature a touch-sensitive, stringless harp.

The museum will also feature sections that focus on art and technological innovation.

“In collaboration with the Academy of Digital Arts, the museum will regularly showcase projects by final-year students in a curated Digital Art Gallery,” says Western Cape Department of Cultural Affairs and Sport head Guy Redman.

The Tevolution Museum reflects the remarkable strides of human ingenuity over the ages, connecting the past to the present through the lens of television, which has long been a window into the world for many South Africans, says South African Sendinggestig Museum chairperson Ron Martin.

The soft launch of the Museum took place on November 27 and included a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a guided tour.

The official launch to the public will take place on December 5 and all are welcome to attend, Hisense says.

In 1976, when the first South African homes lit up with television broadcasts, Hisense was a budding radio and TV company in China.

There are also plans for dedicated school tours and technology workshops at the museum.

“The Tevolution Museum is a first for the country. It not only chronicles Hisense’s technological journey but also inspires young scientific minds by showcasing the technology we pioneered,” says Hisense South Africa marketing manager Alex Chen.