Nelson Mandela was born on 18 July 1918 in Mvezo, in what is now the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.

Birth details

  • Full name at birth: Rolihlahla Mandela (his forename “Rolihlahla” means “pulling the branch of a tree” in isiXhosa, and is often loosely translated as “troublemaker”).
  • The name “Nelson” was later given to him by a schoolteacher, as was common practice at the time.
  • He was born in the village of Mvezo, a small settlement in the Transkei region, then part of the Cape Province of the Union of South Africa.

Family and clan

  • His father, Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa, was a chief of the Madiba clan, part of the Xhosa-speaking Tembu (Thembu) people.
  • Mandela’s mother was Nonqaphi Fanny Nosekeni; he was one of several children in a polygamous household.
  • Later in life, he became widely known by his clan name “Madiba,” which is a sign of respect and affection among his people.

Later significance

  • Mandela’s July 18 birthday is now celebrated annually in South Africa and globally as Mandela Day , a call to public service and humanitarian action.
  • He went on to become a leading anti‑apartheid revolutionary, spent 27 years in prison, and later served as the first Black president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999.

So, in short:
Nelson Mandela was born 18 July 1918 in Mvezo, South Africa.