Museum & heritage
Nelson Mandela Museum
Mthatha & Qunu · OR Tambo
The national museum dedicated to Nelson Mandela, split between the Bhunga Building in central Mthatha and the heritage site at Qunu, the village where he grew up.
About Nelson Mandela Museum
The Nelson Mandela Museum was opened in 2000 and tells the story of Mandela's life in the landscape where it began. The main exhibition occupies the historic Bhunga Building in the centre of Mthatha, while the Qunu site sits about 30km away along the N2 in the rural village where Mandela spent his childhood.
Exhibitions cover his early years in the Eastern Cape countryside, the long years of imprisonment, the negotiated end of apartheid and his presidency. A large part of the collection consists of gifts presented to Mandela by people, communities and governments around the world.
What to expect
- Two sites: the Bhunga Building in Mthatha and the Qunu heritage site off the N2
- Permanent exhibitions on Mandela's childhood, imprisonment, presidency and legacy
- Gifts and tributes sent to Mandela from around the world
- Guided interpretation of the Qunu landscape and surrounding heritage sites
