Mandela House

Description

Mandela House in Soweto was the home of former South African President Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela and his family from 1946 to 1996. The museum house has four inter-leading rooms that showcase an assortment of memorabilia, paintings, and photographs that inform visitors about Mandela’s story, both in the context of his home and of his life as a whole. The house was renovated and reopened on 19 March 2009.

Renovations included: • Heritage preservation and conservation • A new Visitor Centre where visitors can also purchase quality Mandela House merchandise. • Installation of new exhibitions with information about the house and the people who lived there • Multi-media and audio visual displays

Mandela spent little time at the house as his role in the Apartheid struggle became all-consuming and he was forced underground until his arrest and imprisonment in 1962. After his release from Robben Island in 1990, Mandela returned to the house for only 11 days before moving to Houghton. The family then occupied the house until 1996, when the Nelson and Winnie Mandela divorced.

On 1 September 1997, Mandela donated the house to the Soweto Heritage Trust to be used as a world-class visitor attraction that preserved the legacy of the Mandela family, and on 16 March 1999, the property was declared a national monument.

A maximum of 20 people can navigate the Mandela House at any one time. Every effort is made to accommodate all visitors, but there may be a short waiting period until a previous group has concluded their visit. Mandela House is a wheelchair-friendly site.

Bookings

Booking is not essential, but encouraged at this popular heritage site. Tours take approximately 40 minutes and guides are available at no additional charge. Individual and group bookings for guided tours can be made by emailing info@mandelahouse.org. Please note: Group bookings do not entitle exclusive site viewing as there may be other walk-in or individual visitors to the House.