Madiba Trail, Nelson Mandela Sights

In a country as vast and varied as South Africa, you couldn’t hope to see everything on one trip, so when a friend suggested picking a theme for our month-long jaunt, we began racking our brains. We considered the obvious—a wildlife-based trip—but decided we’d rather go for a more original angle. We discounted surfing, wine tasting and rock climbing and in the end could think of no better way to plan a trip than to base it around the life of one of the 21st century’s greatest men, Nelson Mandela.

Places pertinent to Mandela’s life span the country, but with limited time we had to hone in on the most important locations. We decided on three main cities: Mthatha, Johannesburg and Cape Town, meaning we could actually follow the route in chronological order.

Madiba Trail

Our bottom-of-the-range hire car was ill-equipped to deal with the dirt roads leading to Mandela’s birthplace on the Eastern Cape, Mvezo, though this is the true starting place for the so-called Madiba Trail. Madiba is Mandela’s clan name and most South Africans use it as a term of endearment for their beloved former leader. Instead of visiting the miniscule hamlet where Madiba spent his first two years, we went to nearby Qunu, the place where he grew up.

The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it village of Qunu is much easier to reach and there’s more to see, so all but the most hardcore Mandela admirers start their explorations here. The village itself is tiny, but overlooking it is a grand, if empty, building. The Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage Centre houses occasional exhibitions and hosts community events, but it’s the staff rather than the installations that are Qunu’s real gem.

 

• The ruins of the church where Nelson Mandela was baptized.

Courtesy of the Nelson Mandela National Museum

Brimming with pride that the former president hailed from his hometown, security guard Peter was keen to point out places with a Madiba link. We squinted to see the spots where a young Mandela played, the church where he was baptized and the ruins of the school where he received his Christian name, Nelson (his parents called him Rolihlahla).

A rather more impressive structure on the horizon is his modern-day retirement home, considerably grander than the simple hut of his childhood. A short hike or a bumpy drive transports you to this open-air museum, but our time in the Eastern Cape was running short and we wanted to explore Mthatha before heading north.

Mthatha

Mthatha is an essential stop on the trail, especially for the Madiba novice. The Nelson Mandela National Museum brings you up to speed on Mandela’s life within an hour. The main exhibit chronicles his excellent autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. It’s kind of like 3-D CliffsNotes for travelers who haven’t read the full text!

 

• An exhibition in the Bhunga building outlining the journey of Nelson Mandela.

Courtesy of the Nelson Mandela National Museum

Chunky excerpts are displayed alongside photos that bring the story alive. We studied his extraordinary life then admired the collection of gifts sent by everyone from world leaders to local school children.

Next: Johannesburg and Robben Island