​South Africa: sites that celebrate Nelson Mandela’s life

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela, better known as Nelson Mandela, is a name that evokes equal respect and admiration as Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. A name synonymous to humanitarian cause, Nelson Mandela was a champion of the anti-apartheid movement that rocked South Africa for nearly four decades. His growing stature as a pioneer of that revolution landed him in prison, which ended after 27 years in jail. His ordeal ended in 1990 and the man who walked out of the prison was more a phenomenon than a human being. The world found its knight in shining armour who advocated equality, peace and harmony. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993, Mandela served as the President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Post his tenure, he withdrew himself from politics and continued as an activist and philanthropist till his demise in 2013. It is therefore quite obvious that his birth anniversary (July 18) is celebrated as an occasion in South Africa and they call it ‘the Mandela Day’. Subsequently, some tourist attractions, which had a Mandela connection, started attracting more visitors with the passage of time.

Mandela House, where the famed activist lived with his family in the 1940s, holds a lot of importance for Mandela called it “the centre of my world”. Located on Vilakazi Street, Orlando West in Soweto, this house has now been converted into a museum that showcases glimpses of his early days. Several photo galleries and audio visual shows depict the life and works of Nelson Mandela.


The former museum is a window to the celebrated leader’s humble beginning and his early life. But if you want to get into more details and fact files, you have to pay a visit to the Nelson Mandela Museum on Nelson Mandela Dr & Owen Street in Mthatha. Established in the year 2000, this museum conducts guided tours that take visitors on a culture trip and gives valuable insights to the life and work of Nelson Mandela. This museum has another wing named Nelson Mandela Youth & Heritage Centre in the village of Qunu, the region where Nelson Mandela spent his childhood. This wing also holds exhibitions and tours. It also offers accommodation and conference facilities.
Nelson Mandela was arrested on August 5, 1962 from an otherwise ordinary road stretch approximately 5 km outside Howick. This very location is now famous as Nelson Mandela Capture Site with an impressive statue of the leader. Designed by artist Marco Cianfanelli, this statue is actually a collection of 50 steel columns, each between 6.5 and 9.5 m tall. Seen from a distance, one can see the face of Nelson Mandela created by the maze of steel bars.

Robben Island is located 6.9 km west of the coast of Bloubergstrand in Cape Town. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Robben Island had Nelson Mandela captured for 18 years. You can pay a visit to this place and even see the cell where the popular leader was kept captive. Another such prison is the Constitution Hill in Johannesburg. This place was home to an old fort which was used as a prison and housed many renowned political figures as prisoners. Not just Mandela, political/social figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Joe Slovo, Bram Fischer and Albert Lutuli also spent their jail term here. This has earned Constitution Hill the tile of Robben Island of Johannesburg.

Nelson Mandela Square in Johannesburg is home to a huge statue of the famed activist. Modern day travellers may or may not visit the Robben Island or Constitution Hill; but a selfie with the Mandela statue in Johannesburg is almost mandatory!