The Reading Room at the Western Cape Archives is curently open to the public from 08:00 to 16:00 from Monday to Friday, and closed on weekends and public holidays.

The Western Cape Archives and Records Service aims to reach members of the public who do not know about the archives' existence and functions by running a number of public programmes. These feature open days, presentations and lectures on selected topics to learners, students and members of the public. Guided tours - including the stack rooms, which are normally not accessible to the public - are also conducted.