Role and Purpose

The role of the Nelson Mandela Institute (NMI) is to help develop a sustainable future for South Africa by investing in the country’s youth and creating viable and sustainable communities. To achieve this, the Institute aims to transform the education system by focusing on foundation-phase learning as well as on further education.

Sustained research by the NMI suggests that the South African schooling system is not teaching children to think, read, write and enumerate with any confidence. Through partnerships with the Department of Basic Education, the Department of Higher Education and Training and the University of Fort Hare the NMI is committed to continuing research and implementing initiatives that will begin to suggest ways to transform the education system.

The Institute’s work is achieved through a host of programmes, including Magic Classrooms, Ilima Lokufunda and the Grounding Programme at the University of Fort Hare .

Relationship with the Nelson Mandela Charities
When the Nelson Mandela Institute was formed in 2007, it joined a small family of charities mandated to advance the vision and values of Mr Mandela’s life and work.

Each organisation does work that is specific to Mr Mandela’s vision for the future and the Institute is the embodiment of Mr Mandela’s belief in the importance of education and rural development.

The NMI works closely with the Nelson Mandela Foundation, the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and the Mandela Rhodes Foundation in a spirit of mutual support .