Nelson Mandela was born in the South African village of Mvezo.
Mvezo is in the Eastern Cape, near the Mbashe River and within the traditional Thembu homeland. Mandela was born there on 18 July 1918 to Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa and Nosekeni Fanny.
Although Mvezo was his birthplace, Mandela spent much of his childhood in Qunu after his father lost his position as a local chief. Qunu therefore appears frequently in accounts of his early life and is sometimes mistakenly identified as his birthplace.
Mandela’s birth name was Rolihlahla, while Nelson was the English name given to him by a teacher at school. The Mandela family later became closely associated with both Mvezo and Qunu through museums and heritage sites.