When South African president Kgalema Monthlante and a high-powered government delegation visited the ancient Malian city of Timbuktu, there was a single goal to restore and preserve Timbuktu's ancient archive of literature, science, and art. The visit was the culmination of a six-year work in progress by the South Africa-Mali Project which drew together bodies like the South African National archives and the South African National Library. The overall aim was not just to preserve the libraries of two nations, but to secure the knowledge of Africa's place in history for generations to come.