The role of the Department of Arts and Culture is to:

• Facilitate, initiate and implement international cooperation agreements on arts and culture.
• Ensure the representation of South African arts and culture on the international scene.
• Manage heritage and film-related issues in the country.
• Manage and administrate of arts, culture and heritage institutions.
• Promote arts, culture and heritage festivals.
• Support informal arts education and training.
• Support the development of, and access to the arts.
• Support excellence and sustainability in the arts.
• Encourage cooperation and networks within the diverse heritage of South Africa.
• Collect and preserve the national archival heritage, and ensure proper management and care of government records.
• Undertake heraldic services.
• Develop cultural industries in partnership with the private sector.
• Render translation and editing services to national departments.
• Promote indigenous languages.
• Provide language planning and terminology services.
• Ensure standardisation and give advice on the proper use of geographical names.
• Manage and govern national libraries and meta-information.