Swierstra, an entomologist who was director of the Transvaal Museum, it was established to improve and extend a museum service in South Africa; to encourage interaction between kindred institutions and interested persons; and to generate and communicate museological knowledge in the South African context.
[1][2] The association has fulfilled its goals in part through convening regular annual conferences and workshops, held throughout South Africa, with conference papers being made available through its Bulletin, SAMAB, and via less formal communications in national and branch newsletters.
To emphasize this, SAMA officially changed its name to Southern African Museums Association (1975 to 1995), continuing to make its services accessible to members north of the Limpopo.
SAMA’s stance was strongly affirmed in its 1987 Pietermaritzburg Declaration for South African museums.
Concurrently the association embarked on its own process of democratization, amending its constitution in 1990 to strengthen branch representation on council and spelling out its aims to encourage museological research, to promote use of museums, and enhancement of professional training.