KwaZulu-Natal: Take a virtual tour of the Nelson Mandela Capture Site! [update]

update (05 September 2020) From the 01 September 2020 to 20 September 2020, to celebrate Tourism Month, The Nelson Mandela Capture Site has dropped the cost of all ticket prices by 15%! The Cafe is open!

update (18 August 2020): The Nelson Mandela Capture Site has reopened on 15 August 2020. Only the Cafe is currently still closed!

update (14 June 2020): The Nelson Mandela Capture Site is still closed!

update (12 June 2020): Under alert level three, the Nelson Mandela Capture Site is set to reopen with limited access from 17 June 2020. Before you travel to the Nelson Mandela Capture Site, check the website for the most recent updates.

• Sculpture - open from 17 June 2020
• Visitor Centre - temporarily closed until further notice
• Cafe - temporarily closed until further notice

The Nelson Mandela Capture Site, located near Howick in KwaZulu-Natal, has launched a virtual tour of its new visitor centre and the sculpture while it remains closed to the public due to the spread of the coronavirus. The virtual tour includes video, high quality graphics and content about the Capture Site. It is best seen on a desktop in full screen with audio turned on. Unfortunately the tour is not yet suitable for smartphones. The virtual tour of the Nelson Mandela Capture Site's visitor centre and sculpture was launched on 27 May 2020, marking two months since the site was first closed to the public due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Nelson Mandela Capture Site exhibition from The Capture Site on Vimeo.

KwaZulu-Natal: A new multi-purpose and exhibition centre has been opened in the Nelson Mandela Capture Site Precinct!

update (25 March 2020): The Nelson Mandela Capture Site Precinct is closed for the period of the national lockdown.

South Africa's Minister of Tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala and the KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA) Sipho Hlomuka, have officially unveiled a R20 million state of the art multi-purpose and exhibition Centre in the Nelson Mandela Capture Site Precinct near Howick in KwaZulu-Natal on 11 Februay 2020.* According to the curator Christopher Till, the idea of the multi-purpose exhibition centre is to create an interactive experience of South Africa's rich history. The main feature of the exhibition centre is a 360-degree film experience, which connects the capture of Nelson Mandela by the Apartheid police on 05 August 1962 with his time on Robben Island and the emancipation of South Africa, including the election in 1994, in three different films.

Photo by Ashim D’Silva on Unsplash

At the event, Minister Kubayi-Ngubane announced the commencement of a R12-million upgrade of the visitors' parking at the Nelson Mandela Capture Site Precinct, which includes a gatehouse, driveway upgrade, turning circle visitor parking, pedestrian walkways, internal fencing and way-finding signage. KZN Cogta is also to commence with R1.5- million improvements to the Mandela sculpture lighting, the Long Walk to Freedom lighting, ambient lighting around the Education Centre, and additional electrical infrastructure which will ensure that the site can be utilised by tourists even at night.
The Nelson Mandela Capture Site Precinct is located about 5 km north-west of Howick on the N3 between Durban and Johannesburg. It is open daily from 09:00 - 16:00. As of 13 February 2020, the admission fee will be R30 for young adults (12 - 18 years), R100 for adults, R60 for adults 60 years+ and R60 for students.

*11 February 2020 is the 30th anniversary of former President Nelson Mandela's release from prison.

Eastern Cape: "The beautiful and rugged Wild Coast - Mandela country" (video)

The Emfuleni Corridor Tourism Association (ECTOUR), an umbrella body of tourism associations from various tourism nodes across South Africa's Eastern Cape, has released a new image video highlighting the various attractions of the Wild Coast. The coastal region, which stretches from the Mtamvuna River in the north to the Great Kei River in the south, is an adventure playground where untamed nature, ancient legends and iconic features and leaders converge. The resorts, nature reserves and camping facilities although remote, offer unsurpassed experiences to all visitors. 



The Wild Coast offers value for money holidays year round due to the mild winters and fantastic summers. Attractions include various hiking trails, mountain bike trails and events, horse riding, adventure races, the Greatest Shoal on Earth as well as long deserted beaches.

South Africa: New coin and banknotes for Nelson Mandela's 100th birthday! [UPDATE]

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) will launch a set of commemorative South African banknotes in honour of what would have been Nelson Mandela's 100th birthday. These notes will cover all denominations – R10, R20,  R50, R100 and R200. At the same time, the South African Mint, a subsidiary of the SARB, will issue a new R5 circulation coin celebrating Madiba's birth centenary. It is expected that the commemorative banknotes and coin will be introduced into circulation in South Africa from 18 13 July 2018.
The existing Mandela series of banknotes (from 2012) as well as the existing R5 coin in circulation will remain legal tender and will continue to be issued. This means that the new commemorative banknotes and coin will circulate alongside the existing banknotes and coin.

via: https://www.gpwonline.co.za

The the R5 circulation coin and every commemorative banknote will take the individual on a historical journey with former President Mandela:

• The commemorative R5 circulation coin features a portrait of Madiba, smiling at the nation he helped to build.
• The R10 banknote is inspired by the rolling hills of the Eastern Cape, featuring Madiba’s humble birthplace of Mvezo.
• The R20 banknote features Mandela’s home in Soweto, where he defined his political life alongside other struggle icons.
• The R50 banknote depicts the site where Madiba was captured near Howick following 17 months in hiding. This moment set in motion events that would change his life forever.
• Madiba's time on Robben Island is depicted on the R100 banknote, where he was incarcerated for 18 of his 27 years in prison.
• The inspiration for the R200 banknote comes from the moment when Madiba greeted the nation for the first time as a statesman. 

South Africa: Nelson Mandela's gravesite to be open to the public in the future

According to Ndileka Mandela, the oldest grandchild of the late Nelson Mandela, Madiba's gravesite in Qunu (Eastern Cape) would eventually be opened to the general public by his family in the future. No date has been set, although discussions about the matter with various sectors of the government as well as the ANC are already under way. Nelson Mandela, who died at the age of 95 in December 2013, is buried on a hill in his childhood Qunu homestead in rural Eastern Cape. Qunu is located about 30km south-west of Mthatha on the N2 between Butterworth and Mthatha.

Cape Town: Explore Robben Island from your desktop!

To commemorate South Africa's "Freedom Day" (27 April), Google has partnered with the Robben Island Museum and the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory to bring the story of Robben Island online. You can now explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site by clicking through Google Maps' Street View imagery of Robben Island as well as by following an audio-visual tour of the island hosted on Google Cultural Institute.



The audio-visual tour of Robben Island includes a visit to Nelson Mandela’s prison cell and activist Robert Sobukwe’s house. The imagery, audio-effects, video and virtual tour provide insights into the story of the island and some of its more famous prisoners.

New mobile phone app: "Madiba's journey"!

South African Tourism and the Nelson Mandela Foundation launched the "Madiba-inspired tourist attractions" map, which encourages tourists from around the world and South Africa to travel the country and walk in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela, in 2014. The map has now been developed into a GPS-enabled mobile phone app to further enhance visitors’ experiences in South Africa. The app uses location-based services and features tourist sites as well as general places of interest, including Mandela's post-presidential office at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory in Johannesburg, the Nelson Mandela Statue at Union Buildings in Pretoria, Nobel Square at the V&A Waterfront, Robben Island and Pollsmoor Prison (all in Cape Town) and Qunu in the Eastern Cape, where Madbia was laid to rest.

screenshot

The app "Madiba's journey" is now available for download in English from the Apple iTunes store (iOS devices) and the Google Play store (Android devices). It will soon be available in other languages, including Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Dutch, French, German, Italian, simple Mandarin and Portuguese.

Video: A virtual tour through the Liliesleaf Farm Museum (Johannesburg)

Once the headquarters of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the military wing of the African National Congress (ANC) at that time, Liliesleaf is today an interactive museum that honours the lifes of South Africa's liberation struggle activists during the Apartheid era. The museum, situated in residential Rivonia in Johannesburg, is open 7 days a week from 08:30 - 17:00 during the week and from 09:00 - 16:00 on weekends. The standard self-tour costs R60.00, while the standard guided tour costs R110.00 and includes the entrance fee as well as a tour done by one of Liliesleaf's well-trained tour guides.

The Nelson Mandela Museum in Qunu (Eastern Cape, South Africa)

Following the death of Nelson Mandela on the 05 Dec 2013, the Nelson Mandela Museum in Qunu is expected to see an increase in the number of visitors, both local and international. The museum already opened its doors back in 2000 and offers a memorable cultural experience that gives insight into the life of Nelson Mandela. Guided tours are available as well as a heritage trail that follows Mandela's footsteps. Madiba never wanted the museum to be a tribute dedicated to him; instead he wanted the museum in Qunu to serve as a catalyst for the upliftment and development of the local community. Qunu will also be the final resting place of Nelson Mandela. He will be buried here on 15 December 2013.
The Nelson Mandela Museum is open daily from 09:00 – 16:00 except for Good Friday and Workers Day on 01 May. The museum does not charge any entrance fees, however donations are encouraged. As Qunu is a rather small town with limited accommodation options, travellers might consider rather to stay in Mthatha (32 km along the N2) or in Butterworth (92km along the N2).


View The Nelson Mandela Museum in Qunu in a larger map

Three historical sites actually form part of the Nelson Mandela Museum projekt. The sites are at Mvezo, near Coffee Bay, where Mandela was born, the village of Qunu about 32 km outside Mthatha and the Bunga Building on Nelson Mandela Drive in central Mthatha, where the story of the life and times of one of South Africa's greatest leaders is depicted.

Video: A flashmob tribute to Nelson Mandela by the Soweto Gospel Choir

Two days after Nelson Mandela passed away, the Soweto Gospel Choir paid a very special flashmob tribute to Madiba. In cooperation with Woolworths South Africa, the choir sang an incredible tribute to Mandela in Woolie's Parkview store. Truly inspiring! Hamba kahle tata Madiba!

Video: Nelson Mandela remembered through a collection of photographs by Jürgen Schadeberg

British newspaper/news magazine "The Economist" published a remarkable collection of photographs on youtube in honour of the late Nelson Mandela, who passed away in the evening hours of 05 December 2013 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The photographs are  made by German/South African photographer Jürgen Schadeberg, a long-time friend of Madiba. Schadeberg, who was one of the few white photographers who photographed daily life among the black community during Apartheid, and Mandela first met in December 1951. They formed a lifelong friendship. Hamba kahle, tata Madiba!

Hamba kahle, tata Madiba!

Hamba kahle, tata Madiba... you will continue to inspire generations!

 

Johannesburg: The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory to open

update (19 March 2014): Just to confirm it: Nelson Mandela Centre Of Memory is free of charge, but by appointment only. Be sure to book well in advance.

update (18 Nov 2013): According to the BBC, the Nelson Mandela Centre Of Memory will open to the public in the first week of Feb 2014. It will be free of charge, but visitors will have to book online first.

The current President of the Republic of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, will today (18 Nov 2013) officially open the Nelson Mandela Centre Of Memory public facility and the permanent exhibition on the life and times of former President Nelson Mandela at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Johannesburg in South Africa. The Nelson Mandela Centre Of Memory will be launched as a public facility that bears testament to the living legacy of former President Mandela.



The Nelson Mandela Foundation is located in 107 Central Street, Houghton, Johannesburg. We'll keep you posted regarding opening times, entrance fees etc.

"Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" movie promo (07:48min)

update (18 Sept 2013): I have added an interview with Lindiwe Matshikiza (Winnie Mandela) and Anant Singh (Producer) to the playlist, as well as a new trailer (two parts) for the film published by the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory.

update (14 Sept 2013): For some unknown reasons, the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory has set the "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom movie promo" video to private, but I found the official trailer and footage of the "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" press conference, which was held on 08 Sept 2013 at the Toronto International Film Festival.



The Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory has just uploaded the movie promo for the upcoming film "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom". The biographical film, directed by Justin Chadwick, is based on the 1994 book Long Walk to Freedom by former South African President Nelson Mandela. "Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom" will premiere at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival on 07 September 2013 and is scheduled to be released on 29 November 2013 in South Africa (Ster Kinekor) and in the US, on 19 December 2013 in the Netherlands, 03 January 2014 in the UK and on 06 February 2014 in Germany.

Cast:

• Idris Elba as Nelson Mandela
• Naomie Harris as Winnie Madikizela-Mandela
• Tony Kgoroge as Walter Sisulu
• Riaad Moosa as Ahmed Kathrada 
• ...

Nelson Mandela: Before Prisoner - Beyond President (Infographic)

update (06 Dec 2013): South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela passed away in the evening hours of 05 December 2013. Hamba kahle, tata Madiba!

South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela turns 95 years on 18 July 2013. The date not only marks his birthday, but also an annual international day in honour of Madiba. Mandela Day, which was officially declared as such by the United Nations in November 2009, is not meant as a public holiday. The day is meant as a day to honour the legacy of Nelson Mandela and his values, through volunteering and community service.

Mr Mandela gave 67 years of his life fighting for the rights of humanity. All we are asking is that everyone gives 67 minutes of their time, whether it’s supporting your chosen charity or serving your local community.

The infographic below explores Nelson Mandela's legendary life and achievements from a visual perspective. Get well soon, Madiba!


Source: BestMSWPrograms.com

Johannesburg: Nelson Mandela's office to be open to the public

Former South African President Nelson Mandela’s office in Johannesburg has been transformed into an interactive archive Centre Of Memory, where various awards, private documents and gifts Madiba received over the years will be on display. The office will most likely be open to the public from September 2013. Entrance will be for free, but only by appointment.

The Nelson Mandela Centre Of Memory is located in 107 Central Street in Houghton, Johannesburg (GPS:S 26° 08'55.6" | EO 28° 03'30.6").

Tours & acitivities in Johannesburg >>

Video interviews: "What does Nelson Mandela mean to you?"

Broadcaster Al Jazeera went to the streets of South Africa's business hub Johannesburg, home to people from across the world, and asked 10 South Africans and non-South Africans: "What does Nelson Mandela mean to you?"

South Africa: New banknotes to feature former president Nelson Mandela

update (31 Oct 2012): The bank notes featuring former president Nelson Mandela will enter circulation in South Africa on 06 November 2012, the South African Reserve Bank said on 30 Oct 2012. 

The South African Reserve Bank announced the forthcoming introduction of a new series of banknotes honouring former president Nelson Mandela. The new banknotes, which are equipped with a unique combination of state-of-the-art security features, will come into circulation before the end of 2012. The new banknotes will also have enhanced features for the visually impaired, including raised print on both sides.
The front of the banknotes feature an image of South Africa's first democratically elected president Nelson Mandela, while the back of the notes have maintained the "Big Five" animal images that appear on current banknotes. The current and the new banknotes will co-circulate and both are legal tender.

screenshot

update (21 Sept 2012): To introduce South Africa's new banknotes, the South African Reserve Bank has released a TV commercial to inform the public.

Video: "Who Is Mandela to you?"

update (17 July 2012): In honour of Nelson Mandela's 94th birthday, Nickolaus Bauer and Demelza Bush from South Africa's Mail & Guardian quizzed some children on what they think the father of the nation did for South Africa.

Back around the same time last year I stumbled over a video made by journalist Matt Tabaccos, in which he interviewed random Capetonians about Nelson Mandela. Tabaccos now updated the video and added some more interviews he held over the year with people from Johannesburg. He asked the people the one simple question "Who Is Mandela to you?"... Check out their answers in the video below! Kudos @ Matt Tabaccos!

Video: 10 little-known Nelson Mandela facts

The people from youtube's channel "alltime10s" have searched the web and other sources and found 10 facts about former South African President Nelson Mandela you might not know. Kudos "alltime10s"!

1. His detractors included Magret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, who both considered him a terrorist.
2. He was given the name Nelson by his schoolteacher. His birth name is Rolihlahla, which means "pulling the branch of a tree".
3. Tripe (edible offal) is one of this favourite foods.
4. While in prison he was allowed one visitor a year for 30 minutes. He could only send & receive one letter every six months.
5. He has honorary degrees from more than 50 international universities.
6. Nelson Mandela was dubbed the "Black Pimpernel" due to his ability to evade police. He variously disguised himself as a gardener, a chauffeur & a chef.
7. Nelson Mandela is the oldest elected President of South Africa. He was 75 years old when he took office.
8. The Cosby Show's Cliff and Claire Huxtable's grandchildren were named Nelson and Winnie in honor of Mandela and his ex-wife Winnie.
9. His favourite musical artists are Händel & Tchaikovsky.
10. Mandela is a minor royal. He is the great-grandson of King Ngubengcuka of the Tembu people.