Here is a list of our 10 favourite spots where you can "meet" the man... or at the very least have your photo taken with him.
1. The Capture Site, Howick, KwaZulu-Natal
Portfolio''s favorite public art dedicated to Mandela is located at The Capture Site in the peaceful countryside of the KZN midlands and not far from Durban. On 5 August 1962, police waved down a car on a lonely country road. At the wheel was Nelson Mandela, posing as a chauffeur, and his arrest was the catalyst for a series of trials, culminating in the Rivonia Treason Trial that would ultimately see him spend 27 years in prison. Today this site is marked by an impressive steel construction by Marco Cianfanelli, made up of dozens of poles, which, when you stand at exactly the right point, converge to make the image of his face. This is the tallest memorial to Mandela as it stands at 9.48-metres tall. There''s a small temporary museum and a new modern one is being built.
2. The Union Buildings, Pretoria
Located at the Union Buildings in Pretoria, the spot where Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as the first black president, and where he held office, this statue captures something of his radiant energy and enthusiasm. South African sculptors André Prinsloo and Ruhan Janse van Vuuren were responsible for creating the statue and completed the project within just 4 months. It is 9-metres high making it the tallest figurative bronze sculpture of Mandela. The wingspan of his arms measure 8-metres wide.
3. Magistrates Court, Johannesburg
The boxer statue is a fairly new public artwork which features Mandela as a younger man, during his boxing years. The statue can be found in front of the Magistrates Office in downtown Johannesburg and faces onto the offices where he worked as a young lawyer in the city. Not as widely known as many of the other statues, The Boxer is fabulous and well worth a visit.
4. Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton, Joburg
This statue of Nelson Mandela was created by local artists Jacob Maponyane and Kobus Hattingh and stands six metres tall. The statue was commissioned in July 2002 and completed in 2004. At the time of its unveiling, the statue received mixed reactions from all quarters – some loved it, some hated it and some thought it was just a little over the top. The proportions of this statue cannot be ignored: apart from its height it is 2.3m wide and has a shoulder width of 1.7m. Despite the somewhat awkward proportions of this one, it''s still a firm favourite for visitors to Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton to have their photo taken with.
5. Donkin Reserve, Port Elizabeth
The Voting Line statue, by Anthony Harris and Konrad Geel, can be found on the Donkin Reserve in Port Elizabeth with a view over the gorgeous Algoa Bay. One of the more modern statues, this one shows Madiba on that magnificent day when millions of South Africans patiently queued in the sunshine with him to place their first vote in the democratic Republic of South Africa. A beautifully made sculpture that is 38-metres long and depicts South Africans of all shapes and sizes, connected together, the Rainbow Nation who share the land – and who voted peacefully on 27 April 1994. There are even a couple of black metal seagulls hovering about the voters'' heads. At the end of the queue is a metal cut-out of Nelson Mandela standing tall and victorious, his fist in the air.
6. Route 67, Port Elizabeth
Voting Line (listed above) is part of the Route 67 Public Art Works project by the Mandela Bay Development Agency''s (MBDA) urban revitalisation project in Port Elizabeth, a public display of 67 pieces of art celebrating each year that Nelson Mandela gave to public life and the people of South Africa. Another statue of Nelson Mandela can be found here too. All the artworks have been designed by local artists from the Eastern Cape and the route is a proud celebration of Port Elizabeth''s heritage and history. The Route 67 starts at the Campanile and climbs the staircase to Vuyisile Mini Market Square which is the centre of the City. From the City centre the route continues through the staircase at St Mary’s Terrace, the experience of the route erupts in a celebration of colour, art and heritage that meanders up to the Donkin Reserve via 67 steps up to the Great flag on top of the hill (the second largest in Africa). A great art tour for the whole family to walk and enjoy.
7. Naval Hill, Bloemfontein
This 8-metre tall bronze figure was unveiled in the central city of Bloemfontein on 7 December 2012 to commemorate the birthplace of the ANC in the country. Created by the sculptor, Kobus Hattingh (who was also the creator of the sculpture in Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton, Johannesburg), this R3 million statue was donated by a private individual, Mr Freddy Kenny. Located atop Naval Hill, it faces the Methodist Church in Waaihoek, the location where the ANC was established in 1912.
8. Nobel Square, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town
Nobel Square, located in the heart of South Africa''s premier tourist attraction, The V&A Waterfront, is another spot where you can join the throngs lining up for their selfie with Madiba. This square also honours the 3 other South African Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. Each Laureate played his own meaningful and different role in achieving peace and democracy, each one at a different time of the struggle, while sometimes uniting their efforts. They each come from different political backgrounds, races, origins and spoke different languages, but together the four left an indelible mark on the South African landscape. With Table Mountain in the background, these bronze sculptures are slightly larger than life and have the Laureates'' preferred quotations engraved in their chosen language in front of the sculptures.
9. Mandela Memorial Square, Stellenbosch
Another lesser known public art tribute to Madiba is found in front of the Stellenbosch Town Hall where land artist Strijdom van der Merwe completed the town’s own Nelson Mandela Square. The design consists of iron silhouettes of Mandela’s face applied to two sides of a wall. The eastern side (facing Plein Street) also comprises a map of the eastern part of South Africa showing the places of importance in Mandela‘s life. These include Qunu, Rivonia, Johannesburg, etc. The same applies to the western side of the wall (facing the town hall). A quote from Nelson Mandela’s first opening of parliament speech connects the wall with a bench on the southern side. The words – Never, never and never again shall it be that this beautiful land will again experience the oppression of one by another – are imbedded in the lawn in letters of granite. The Mandela image and the bench are illuminated at night.
10. Groot Drakenstein Prison, Paarl
Created by sculptor Jean Doyle, the 3.2m bronze statue stands at the entrance to Groot Drakenstein Prison situated between Paarl and Franschoek. The statue depicts Mr Mandela in a suit, with his clenched fist raised, as he was on Sunday 11 February 1990 when he walked out of the-then Victor Verster Prison. He had been in jail since August 5 1962. Weighing 460kg, the statue was donated by the Sexwale Family Foundation to honour the anti-apartheid icon in his 90th year. At the unveiling of the statue, Mr Mandela watched the proceedings from a tent close to the statue with his wife, Graça Machel, his former wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, while their daughters, Zenani and Zindzi, helped Judy Sexwale to pull the cloth off the statue.
We hope you''re feeling inspired to honour the life of the irreplaceable Nelson Mandela with a visit to one of these public art works commemorating his legacy. Maybe you''ve already visited a few? Let us know which one means the most to you or which one is top of your bucket list? And if we''ve left any off this list please do let us know in the comments section below...
If you''d like to visit more of the significant Nelson Mandela sites around South Africa or create an itinerary to journey through the country celebrating the life and times of this great man, then visit mandela.southafrica.net.