Make a one-person brief
Choose one relative and one event: a marriage, a move or a school year. Record the name exactly as you received it, including alternative spellings. Keep an approximate date as a range rather than turning a family estimate into a precise year.
Separate memory from documents
Note who told you each story and when. A remembered birthplace and a certificate describing a place of registration may refer to different events. Preserve both statements until the difference can be explained. Keep an original scan separate from your working transcription.
Choose the next repository
Use the event and location to identify an archive, library or records office. Check its catalogue and access instructions before travelling. An index is a route to a record, not necessarily the full record itself. Record the collection reference so you can revisit the result.
Further reading
For source material and collection context, visit National Archives of South Africa. Check the collection’s own scope and access instructions before relying on it.