International Association of Bibliophiles (IAB), established in 1961 in Paris, brings together librarians, publishers, collectors of rare books, conservators, conservation specialists, bookbinders, businessmen, lawyers, and diplomats. The Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences (BAN) is the Member of the IAB since 1994. BAN became the organizer of the Colloquium in St. Petersburg. Meetings of bibliophiles are held annually in different countries. The article presents the activities of the Colloquium of bibliophiles in Cape town (South Africa) in 2002. There are described the exhibitions of books, manuscripts and documents from the collections of the Library of Center of Books in Cape town, the National Library of South Africa, Library of the University of Cape town, University of Stellenbosch, library of the English and South African Politician Cecil John Rhodes and private collections. Exhibition materials reflect the history of African book culture.