The terrain fire started on Taffelberget in Cape Town.
Fires have ravaged the area several times before, but this time it has spread to the nearby University of Cape Town.
- The university has been threatened several times but now it reached all the way, says Johan Ripås, SVT's former Africa correspondent.
"Invaluable Books"
Hundreds of students have been evacuated from the smoky campus area, reports the South African Sunday Times.
But the fire has spread to the university library.
Pictures show how flames erupt from the building.
- It is terribly tragic, it is South Africa's history that is burning up.
These are invaluable books, documents and maps.
I do not know what they have had time to digitize, but as far as I understand they have not digitized everything.
Some of the special collections are behind fire doors, so one can hope that they stand up to the flames, says Johan Ripås, SVT's former Africa correspondent.
He emphasizes that history is extra important for a country like South Africa.
- It is a country that is struggling to become friends with its contemporaries, says Johan Ripås.