His name is synonymous with South Africa, and we all know something of what Nelson Mandela called ‘the struggle’. Yet I’m embarrassed to admit I knew very little about apartheid — the system of racial segregation and white minority rule that shaped South Africa from 1948 to the early 1990s.
I did know I wanted to visit a country often ranked among the world’s top tourist destinations, celebrated for its history, adventure, wildlife, and cuisine. I’m not alone: international visitor numbers to South Africa rose 17.9 per cent in April 2025 compared to the previous year according to the Centre for Aviation.
I couldn’t visit the country without trying to understand more of its past. So my partner and I planned a trip focused around Johannesburg, exploring the area while learning about Mandela’s legacy.
Nelson Mandela (1918–2013) was the Black South African anti-apartheid activist, lawyer, and member of the African National Congress (ANC), the main group fighting apartheid. In 1994, South Africa held its first democratic election where all races could vote, and Mandela became the country’s first Black president. Globally, he’s remembered as a symbol of courage, forgiveness, and freedom.
When we checked in at The Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa (£610 a night, including breakfast), I felt like I’d arrived at a peaceful retreat. The grand main building is set around an expansive infinity-style pool that blends into ten acres of lush indigenous gardens. With 53 large luxury suites, two restaurants, a bar, and spa, the former private residence marries contemporary comfort with classic South African design.
It’s no surprise Mandela chose these lush surroundings to edit his best-selling autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, which I’d read before arriving. A friend of the hotel’s owner, Mandela’s image is everywhere — photos and paintings cover the walls. Michelin hasn’t reached South Africa yet, but when it does, the Saxon’s restaurant QUNU will surely be starred. Every dish was perfection, served by staff who’ve worked there for decades.
A highlight was an exclusive private tour of the Nelson Mandela Archive, arranged by the Saxon’s concierge. Verne, an archivist, former ANC colleague and friend of Mandela, guided us through Mandela’s private collection and shared intimate stories of his life. We read loving letters he wrote to family in prison, laughed at diabolical portraits celebrities gifted him, and gasped when handed his actual Nobel Peace Prize medal — the museum displays a replica. Verne said, “When I handed the medal to Obama, he was speechless. I reminded him he had one too, but he said, ‘Yes, but Mandela deserved his.’”
On a friend’s recommendation, we booked a cycling tour through Soweto with Book iBhoni, a Black-owned business in Orlando West that promotes positive change in the township through education and book donations.
Bikes and helmets provided, our two local guides, Lwazi and Wandi, took us on a 10km ride through their community lasting four hours. We passed waving locals and children demanding high fives as we cycled to sites of the anti-apartheid struggle, like the Hector Pietersen Museum, Orlando Stadium and a community hall where Mandela once boxed.
Our guide seemed to know everyone, assuring us, “It’s very safe here — we all look after each other.”
We paused for a beer and lunch at a local bar, scoffing a ‘Kota’ - a street food staple made from a hollowed-out quarter loaf of bread filled with various ingredients like polony, chips, cheese, and pickles. We returned via Vilakazi Street, the only street in the world where two Nobel Peace Prize winners — Mandela and Desmond Tutu — lived. We only had a couple of hours at the excellent Apartheid Museum, I’d recommend giving the museum at least half a day.
No visit to Africa is complete without a Safari. The Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve (three nights at Earth Lodge from £4,840 ) is an unspoilt part of Africa, ecologically and geographically integrated with the Greater Kruger National Park. Reached via a 30-minute flight to the beautiful, thatched, Skukuza airport, the safari began on the short drive to the lodge with elephants and Giraffe spotted.
Earth Lodge is hidden in the landscape until you reach its concealed entrance. Built into a slope, it blends with the terrain; rough mud walls inside remind you you’re in wild Africa.
Each of the 13 spacious suites has a huge stone bathtub, a complimentary wardrobe fridge bar, and furnishings made from natural materials. Outside is a private plunge pool with bush views, outdoor shower and sofa.
The communal areas are open and airy, with cascading water features and fire pits around which delicious meals are shared. Deepening the earthy feel, many furnishings such as tables and the main bar are handmade from dead wood recovered from the area.
We relished the twice-daily game drives. Our guide, Jabu, and spotter, Simmon, amazed us with their knowledge and tracking skills. Within 20 minutes of our first drive, we found rhino mothers with their babies. I was so moved by the surprise encounter and their majesty I nearly cried. Another highlight was watching a leopard play with her cub while tenderly trying to clean the uncompliant little rascal.
Mandela, too, was awed by Sabi Sabi. Michel, one of the original guides who once drove Mandela, told us how Mandela nearly missed his flight home because an aggressive elephant blocked the road. The security team panicked, but Mandela was calm. “He grew up in the bush alongside these animals,” Michel said. “He knew their behaviour. He wasn’t worried.”
Before flying home to the UK, we spent one last night in Johannesburg at the Four Seasons Westcliff Hotel (from £350 per night, including breakfast). After days bumping around in a 4WD, a visit to the spa was much needed. On the morning of our departure we had breakfast on the terrace overlooking the green canopy of the Johannesburg Zoo, the city’s skyscrapers further in the distance glistened in the mornings sun while we sipped iced coffees and reflected on our trip.
Our trip inspired, educated, humbled and awed. I still feel I’ve much to learn and see, and I’ll definitely be returning to the ‘The Rainbow Nation,’ the name South Africa is commonly referred to as, to symbolise its diverse cultures, ethnicities and its aspiration for unity.
Getting there
Virgin Atlantic flies direct between London Heathrow and Johannesburg with return fares from £717 per person, including complimentary food, drink, inflight entertainment, and taxes. virginatlantic.com
