Nelson Mandela Foundation

The Nelson Mandela Foundation was established in 1999 when its founder, Mr. Nelson Mandela, stepped down as President of South Africa.

Mr. Mandela was South Africa’s first democratically elected President. He was unanimously elected President by the new members of South Africa’s Parliament on 9 May 1994, shortly after the results of our landmark elections were announced.

The next day, Nelson Rolihlala Mandela was sworn in at an inauguration ceremony at the Union Buildings in Pretoria.

He vowed to serve only one term as President and resigned in 1999 to make way for Thabo Mbeki.

"Memory is fundamental in the life of any individual, family, community or society. It is the fabric of identity." -- Nelson Mandela

Soon after Mr Mbeki assumed office on 16 June 1999, Mr Mandela called to gather his staff for the new tasks ahead. They had to remind him that they no longer worked for him, and so the Nelson Mandela Foundation was born. As Mr Mandela's post-presidential office, it laid the foundation for his philanthropic work, covering a wide range of causes: from building schools to HIV/AIDS work, from rural education research to peace and reconciliation interventions.

Five years later, the Foundation began its transformation into an organization focused on memory, dialogue and legacy work. A comprehensive renovation of the Foundation's building gave it a suitable physical home, the Nelson Mandela Memory Centre. The Centre opened on 18 November 2013, three years after Mr Mandela last used the building as an office.