Travel With Heart

Don't just see South Africa, feel it. Volunteer, uplift, join a heritage tour, or simply engage with local communities. Whether you're planting trees, painting a school, or sharing a meal, every act of kindness is a tribute. Celebrate Mandela Day your way - joyfully. As Madiba once said, "What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made."

Yes, you'll still want to tick off the classics like Robben Island, Constitution Hill, and the iconic 8115 Vilakazi Street in Soweto. But Madiba's South Africa is also stitched together through flavour, rhythm, grit, and joy. So come along, we're going beyond the monuments and into the heartbeat of the man.

Food from the Heart - Taste What Madiba Loved

Nelson Mandela had humble tastes and a heart for home-cooked food. His favourite dish? Umngqusho – a hearty combo of samp and beans, often paired with tripe or chicken stew. His long-time chef, Xoliswa Ndoyiya, even turned his food story into a cookbook: Ukutya Kwasekhaya: Tastes from Nelson Mandela's Kitchen.

To taste those flavours yourself, visit Sakhumzi  Restaurant on Vilakazi Street, E's Inn in Soweto.  Here, each dish is served with a side of storytelling and a big helping of heritage.

Come find your joy in every spoonful.

Madiba's musical joy - dance to His Beat

Madiba didn't just change the world – he made it dance. Whether swaying at global galas or grooving to township tunes, he moved with purpose and rhythm. His signature "Madiba Shuffle" wasn't just charming; it was contagious.

Experience this spirit at the vibrant Soweto Theatre, or any number of jazz bars or and shisanyamas pumping South African beats. As Mandela believed, "Music has the power to heal." It still does.

Let the rhythm move you. South Africa awaits.

The fighter's rhythm

Yes, Mandela was a lawyer and freedom fighter – but he also loved boxing. "I didn't like the violence," he said, "but the science of it." Boxing sharpened his focus, taught discipline, and fuelled his resilience.

To explore this side of him, visit the Nelson Mandela Museum in Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape Province, or take a township boxing tour. In Soweto, in the Gauteng province, young boxers still train with pride, knowing they walk in the footsteps of a legend.

Don't miss the dramatic Shadow Boxing Statue by artist Marco Cianfanelli in downtown Johannesburg. Standing tall outside the old Chancellor House, where Mandela once practised law, it captures his fighting spirit, literally. The plinth even reminds us: "In the ring, rank, age, colour, and wealth are irrelevant."

Feel the strength. Find the story. Come find your joy.

More than monuments - Sip, Stay and Reflect

Want to raise a toast to Madiba's memory? Head to House of Mandela Wines in Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, Western Cape, you can toast to legacy with a range crafted by his family.

Or check into Sanctuary Mandela in Houghton, a luxe boutique hotel that was once his actual home. Beyond its tranquil rooms, the hotel's Insights Restaurant serves up Mandela's favourite dishes, lovingly reimagined for a contemporary palate.

Then make your way to Howick, in the Kwa Zulu-Natal province, to witness the breathtaking Nelson Mandela Capture Site Art Installation — 50 towering steel columns that form Madiba's face when viewed just right. It's a perfect symbol: sometimes, you must step back to see the full picture.

From vineyard to visual art, South Africa awaits. Come find your joy.

Madiba-inspired travel

South Africa awaits, come discover the tastes, tunes, and stories that made Madiba's world so rich. Because in every beat, bite, and shared smile there is still a lot to love, explore and enjoy.

#SouthAfricaAwaits  #ComeFindYourJoy

View  here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-wndBMavuI

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