What might we expect to learn about a person when visiting a place named after them?

The Nelson Mandela Foundation is a non-profit organisation focused on memory, dialogue and legacy work, founded by Nelson Mandela in 1999. We are the custodian of his life and times; we are a committed facilitator of his legacy; and we are mandated to promote his lifelong vision of freedom and equality for all.

Part of the preservation and advancement of Madiba’s legacy and making this legacy available to the world is the provision and ongoing preservation of its extensive archive collection materials. The archival record relating to Nelson Mandela is infinite, fragmentary and scattered, both geographically and institutionally throughout the world, making it almost impossible to physically locate in one place. The imperative, therefore, is to document this vast resource, facilitate access to it, and promote its preservation and use. 

The Named after Nelson project is the first of its kind to include the graphic heritage element. The Nelson Mandela Foundation journey with this project began with a workshop on Nelson Mandela’s heritage exploring the relationship between toponomy, graphic images, cultural heritage, archival practice, and placemaking in locations named after Nelson Mandela. This was presented by Dr Yolandi Burger, Dr Everard Burger and Dr Robert Harland. The places named after Nelson Mandela is an interesting area to explore because of its worldwide interrogation of not just why the places were named after him but also what it means to people currently.

Razia Saleh, Head of Archive and Research, Nelson Mandela Foundation