Nelson Mandela Museum (Youth & Heritage Centre) in King Sabata Dalindyebo Rural, Eastern Cape

The Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage Centre is situated in Qunu Village, Ngaphezulu, Eastern Cape, where Nelson Mandela grew up, 35 km from Mthatha. It was at this centre that Mandela celebrated his 90th birthday with celebrities from all over the world including many famous movie stars.

The Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage Centre won the B-KIA Award for Architecture 2007. The Centre is the second component of three that fall under the Nelson Mandela Museum.

Three Locations of the Mandela Museum

Bhunga Building

Bhunga Building in Mthatha city centre is currently closed for major reconstruction, due to re-open in July 2014 (see official website for confirmation).

The Nelson Mandela Youth & Heritage Centre

This complex also houses a museum and other facilities and is the second location of the Museum.

Mvezu Site

The Mvezu site is where Nelson Mandela was born. It is not being explored by the museum at this time but may be in the near future (consult the official website for more updates).

The Nelson Mandela Youth & Heritage Centre

 This site is located next to the ruins of Mandela’s primary school classroom (in Qunu) which overlooked his home.

The 1500 m2 of land allocated for this centre, offering exhibitions, tours and accommodation, consists of several structures and buildings namely:

• 2 Community halls
• 2 Craft manufacturing buildings
• Administration centre
• Dining hall
• Museum- being used by the Mthatha Museum while it is being reconstructed
• Resource centre
• Restaurant
• Single and double story rooms
• Sports hall with ablution

The community has the opportunity to bid for the catering of the conference centre and all substitutions are considered no matter how small the company.

 The centre is showing great success with local business and international delegates due it its well equipped conference centre and the accommodation facilities which are state of the art. What makes this centre popular especially with tourists is the setting and presentation as the place where Mandela grew up.

The facilities at the conference centre are of world class quality with top of the range equipment and modern facilities.

Guided Tours

Guided tours are part of the experience of this centre namely: 

• Graveyard where his Madiba’s 3 children and his parents are buried
• Nelon Mandela’s current home
• Nelson Mandela’s original home, ( 3 huts)
• Old church where Madiba was baptised- the ruins that remain intact.
• Pastures he used to roam as a boy
• Ruins of his primary school
• Sliding rock where he used to play
• The iThemba arts project where Xhosa culture artefacts are manufactured

(Not all the locations are under the directorship of the Museum)