R600m Design Competition Seeks Pan‑African Proposals for Nelson Mandela School Memorial and Campus Home

Envisioned as both a permanent home for the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance and a living memorial to South Africa’s first democratic president, the R600m project will occupy a prominent site on UCT’s Upper Campus, where education, memory and transformation converge.

The competition is endorsed by the South African Institute of Architects (SAIA) and is conducted in partnership with the African Union of Architects (AUA), reinforcing its ambition to attract architectural ideas, perspectives and talent from across the African continent.

The two-stage competition has been structured to encourage broad participation from both emerging and established architects across Africa. Participants will be invited to explore how architecture, landscape and public space can work together to create a place of lasting significance, responding to the project's memorial, educational and civic ambitions.

Shaping future leaders

The competition will be administered in accordance with recognised architectural competition principles and aims to showcase the diversity of architectural thought, design approaches and spatial practices emerging from Africa.

Brandon Collier-Reed, deputy vice-chancellor of teaching and learning at UCT, said the project represented a significant investment in the university's future and in its ability to contribute to Africa's future. “The ambition is not simply to add another building to campus. It is to create a place that enriches the wider university environment and contributes to its future identity.

"This is not intended to be a monument that simply commemorates the past. It is intended to be a living memorial, carrying Nelson Mandela's legacy into the future through learning, dialogue and action.”

Collier-Reed said the project reflected UCT's commitment to developing capable leaders, strengthening institutions and contributing to the public good across Africa.

“We envisage a place where African conversations are hosted, where Global South perspectives are amplified, and where dialogue across regions, sectors and disciplines can flourish.

"Ultimately, the success of this project will not be measured by its architecture alone. It will be measured by the leaders it develops, the institutions it strengthens, the partnerships it enables and the contribution it makes to a more prosperous, peaceful, just and inclusive future.”

Dialogue through design

Luyanda Mpahlwa, convenor of the external advisory panel which advised UCT on the philosophical ethos and ideas about memorialisation, said the project presented a unique opportunity to explore the relationship between landscape, memory and public life.

“An architectural competition is about transparency. It is about inclusivity. Most importantly, it is about intentionality. It places design at the centre of decision-making. This project is not simply about a building. It is about an experience, dialogue and transparency. It is about making people feel welcome and creating opportunities to listen to one another and learn about ethical leadership.

"Nelson Mandela belongs not only to South Africa but to the continent of Africa as well. It was therefore essential that architects be invited in an Africa-wide design competition and given an opportunity to participate.”

Nelson Mandela Foundation’s head of archives and research and competition jury member Razia Saleh said the project offered an opportunity to honour Mandela's legacy in a manner that reflected his values and personal humility.

“Nelson Mandela was deeply uncomfortable with the idea of statues, monuments and memorials dedicated to him. He believed that the struggle for freedom was never about one individual, but about the collective efforts of countless people working to build a more just and democratic society.

“What excites us about this partnership is that it seeks to honour Madiba's legacy in a way that reflects those values. Rather than creating a static monument, it imagines a living space where people can come together to learn, debate, question and engage with the challenges of our time.”

Funding a legacy

Justice Albie Sachs, former Constitutional Court Justice and a long-time colleague of Nelson Mandela, said the project presented an opportunity to imagine new possibilities for memorialisation, leadership and public engagement.

“Buildings need calculated madness. You can't predict innovation. That's the whole point. The outcome is uncertain, but without that emotion, that passion, it would be OK. And OK is not OK.”

Reflecting on the kind of place the project could create, Justice Sachs said: “I imagine this as a space of listening. It is very democratic. It is very equalising. Every voice has the same right to be heard.”

The project has been made possible through the support of Atlantic Philanthropies, together with contributions from a range of donors, alumni and partners. The broader project, including the Nelson Mandela Memorial Centre, academic facilities and associated landscape interventions, is expected to have a total development value of approximately R600m, making it one of the most significant investments in UCT's academic and civic infrastructure in recent decades.

Janet Saaiman, president of the South African Institute of Architects, welcomed the launch of the competition and its commitment to transparency, excellence and inclusivity.

“As the proud endorser of the UCT Architectural Design Competition for the Nelson Mandela Memorial Centre and School of Public Governance, SAIA champions design excellence through inclusive, transparent and innovative participation. In partnership with the AUA, the competition seeks to nurture emerging talent across Africa while promoting ethical and transparent procurement processes.”

Director of the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance Professor Cheryl Hendricks said: "The mission of the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance is that of strengthening inclusive leadership for the transformation of the continent, with a particular focus on the public sector.

“We hope to gather Africa's courageous intellectuals, practitioners, policymakers and activists – young, not-so-young and elders – to learn, share experiences, think and develop new pathways for addressing our many vexing challenges, including the implementation gap between policy and practice that we frequently reference.”

The UCT Nelson Mandela Memorial Centre and School of Public Governance Architectural Design Competition forms part of a broader vision to create a destination of national, continental and international significance—one that embodies Nelson Mandela’s values while advancing the future of public leadership, democratic governance and social development across Africa.

Registration for the competition opens on Thursday, 25 June 2026 and closes on Sunday, 28 July 2026. Eligible architects, designers and students from across Africa are invited to register and participate. Competition details are available at uctnelsonmandelacompetition.org.

The competition will be adjudicated by a distinguished jury comprising leaders in architecture, urban design, public governance, heritage and memorialisation from South Africa and abroad.