The object of SAHRA is to coordinate the identification and management of the national estate. The aims are to introduce an integrated system for the identification, assessment and management of the heritage resources and to enable provincial and local authorities to adopt powers to protect and manage them.

The South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) is a statutory organisation established under the National Heritage Resources Act 25 of 1999, as the national administrative body responsible for the protection of South Africa's cultural heritage.

Contained within South Africa's borders are Zulu, Xhosa, Pedi, Tswana, Ndebele, Khoisan, Hindu, Muslim, and Afrikaner people to name but a few. All of these people are united by calling South Africa home, and therefore their lives all contribute to forming a part of the country's heritage, identity and culture.

The open spiral represents change and continuity, indicative of the fact that our national cultural heritage is dynamic, living force with the power to shape our present, guide our future, and enrich our lives.