Author/activist, Ndaba Thembekile Zweliyajika Mandela, is an outspoken influencer and change agent on the African continent and in the arena of international politics. He was born in South Africa in 1982 as his grandfather, Nelson
Mandela, endured a third decade in prison on Robben Island. Ndaba spent his early childhood in the Transkei, Durban and Johannesburg, surrounded by a vibrant extended family that included legendary African National Congress activists.
Witnessing both the shocking abuses of apartheid and the complex struggle to end it, Ndaba was exposed early to
radical ideals of democracy and resistance beyond the tear gas and police raids on his neighborhood in Soweto.
In 1989, Ndaba met his grandfather for the first time at Victor Verster Prison. A few months later, Nelson Mandela was a
free man, and in 1993, shortly before he was elected the first black president of a democratic South Africa, Mandela
brought Ndaba to live with him, relishing the opportunity to. be there for his grandchild in a way he was not allowed to be there for his sons and daughters. Being raised by a legend had its challenges, but Ndaba navigated a tumultuous adolescence and majored in Political Science and International Relations at the University of Pretoria. He graduated in 2009 and began his career as a senior political consultant to the Embassy of Japan in South Africa and client liaison officer for an international asset management group.
Today, Nelson Mandela’s legacy lives on through Ndaba, who continues to keep carry the message of Ubuntu
forward - that all humanity is inherently connected. He recently founded the Mandela Institute for Humanity to continue the legacy of Nelson Mandela by inspiring and uniting people to build a fair and just world. The main pillars of this organization are: developing the next generation of leaders, connecting and united the African diaspora. Ndaba was the longest-serving ambassador for UNAIDS, the Co-Founder and Chairman of Africa Rising, and the author of Going to the Mountain: Life Lessons from My Grandfather, Nelson Mandela. He is committed to dedicating his life to his country, his continent, and the young people around the world who stand for positive change.
