Johannesburg – Qunu in the Eastern Cape and Liliesleaf Farm in Rivonia are set to become stepping stones in a pilgrimage of a modern kind.
Foreigners and locals can now follow in Nelson Mandela’s footsteps using a cellphone device as a tour guide.
“Madiba’s Journey” is a free downloadable tourist app that tracks the places of interest relevant to Mandela’s lifetime while rewarding tourists when they check in.
Minister of Tourism Derek Hanekom said the app should help keep Madiba’s legacy alive.
“We can reignite the social greatness of South Africans. Tourism plays a massive role in preserving history and that of our liberation heroes,” he said. “South Africa will be energised by showcasing our cultural appeal.”
Speaking at the department’s launch yesterday – the start of Freedom Month – Hanekom stressed the role that tourism plays in celebrating liberty. “We have a huge diversity of places and it’s this totality that is attractive. This is a country where you can immerse yourself in the culture of the people.”
Developed in partnership with South African Tourism and the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, it offers grid and flip view, with contact details included for all visitation sites and a handy calculation of the proximity of the next place of interest.
Sello Hatang, the centre’s chief executive, called it an expression of pride.
“This app will remind us of all the different places our Struggle stalwarts have touched and our responsibility to protect them.”
Liliesleaf Farm hosted the launch of the new app. The original house in which the Rivonia Trial accused met is one of the 16 places of interest included in the download.
They trace a historical path of Mandela’s life through Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape and the Western Cape. Others include Constitution Hill, the Nelson Mandela Youth and Heritage Centre in Qunu, and the statue of Madiba at the Union Buildings.
In total, 27 places are listed.
Madiba’s granddaughter Ndileka said of the app: “This is awesome – we need to document our history so it doesn’t get lost, and apps speak to the new, younger generation.”
The curator of Liliesleaf Farm, Nick Wolpe, said he hoped the app would attract more people to his museum. He would like to see 48 000 people through the doors every year.
“Nelson Mandela is fundamental to keeping his and other Struggle leaders’ memory alive. This is history – the amalgamation of his story.”
The app is available in many languages and features audio. Checking in at the visitation centres is incentivised – tourists earn small tokens such as bespoke keepsake pictures.
Thulani Nzima, the chief executive of South African Tourism, said the app would “ensure that our legacy is embraced globally – a pilgrimage in the same way Mecca draws people”.
The Star