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Winnie Mandela (Nelson Mandela's Wife): Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 17, 2026 • 4 min read

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Quick Info

Date of birth26 September 1936

Age81 (at time of death)

BirthplaceBizana, Pondoland, South Africa

ProfessionActivist, Politician

NationalitySouth African

Marital statusMarried (m. 1958–div. 1996)

SpouseNelson Mandela (m. 1958–div. 1996)

FamilyDaughters: Zindziswa (Zindzi) Mandela; Zenani Mandela

Winnie Mandela (Nelson Mandela's Biography

Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela—known widely as Winnie Mandela, Mama Winnie and Mother of the Nation—was a South African activist and politician whose

Early life and background

Nomzamo Winifred Zanyiwe Madikizela was born on 26 September 1936 in Bizana, Pondoland, in what is now South Africa. She grew up in a family of educators: her father was a headmaster and her mother taught domestic science. After her mother died in 1945 while imprisoned, her childhood was disrupted and her siblings were sent to live with relatives. She attended Shawbury High School in Qumbu, where she demonstrated early leadership by serving as head girl.

After completing school she moved to Johannesburg to study social work. She trained at the Jan H. Hofmeyr School of Social Work and later studied at the University of the Witwatersrand, earning qualifications in social work and a bachelor’s degree in international relations. Early in her career she worked as a medical social worker at Baragwanath Hospital and carried out research in Alexandra Township—experiences that brought her into contact with political issues affecting black South Africans.

Career

Winnie Madikizela-Mandela became active in politics in the mid-1950s when she joined the African National Congress (ANC). She married Nelson Mandela in June 1958, taking on an increasingly public role as her husband became a central figure in the struggle against apartheid.

After Nelson Mandela was imprisoned in 1964, Winnie Mandela emerged as a prominent and often polarizing leader in the anti-apartheid movement. She faced repeated arrests, detention, and house arrest; she was subjected to torture and constant state surveillance. During the 1960s and 1970s she was restricted and exiled to Brandfort, although she was permitted to visit her husband on Robben Island.

Winnie helped organize grassroots resistance during volatile periods such as the youth uprising of 1976. She co-founded the Black Women’s Federation and the Black Parents’ Association, organizations formed to challenge apartheid-era structures and to promote the rights and interests of black South Africans. Her activism and public profile earned her the honorary title Mother of the Nation among supporters.

She also spent significant time in detention: one particularly harrowing period included 18 months in solitary confinement at Pretoria Central Prison, an experience she later described and documented. In 2013 she published a book recounting that time, titled 491 Days: Prisoner Number 1323/69.

Public profile

Winnie Mandela’s public life was complex and marked by both recognition and controversy. She received multiple honors during her lifetime, including the Freedom of the City of Aberdeen (1984) and the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights (1988). In 2018 Makerere University’s governing bodies awarded her a Doctor of Laws (LLD) degree.

At the same time, she was subject to several legal and political controversies. In the 1980s and 1990s, allegations connected to violent tactics and to the kidnapping and killing of a young activist led to convictions and sentences that were later altered or reduced. In the early 2000s she faced convictions related to fraud and theft connected with financial dealings; following those events she resigned from ANC positions and was suspended for a period. Her public life included high-profile disputes over travel and invitations, including a denied visa to Canada in 2007 for a fundraising appearance.

Personal life and family

Winnie and Nelson Mandela married in 1958 despite opposition from some family members to their age difference. They had two daughters, Zindziswa (Zindzi) Mandela and Zenani Mandela. While raising her children alone after Nelson’s imprisonment, she sent them to boarding school in Swaziland because of frequent arrests and the risks posed by her activism.

Winnie kept the Mandela surname after their divorce in 1996 and remained in contact with Nelson Mandela afterward. She lived in Johannesburg and was based in Soweto in later years. Her faith was Christianity and she identified ethnically with the Thembu (Xhosa) people.

Later years and death

Winnie Mandela continued to be a visible public figure into her later life, publishing memoirs and seeing her life portrayed in cultural works. She died on 2 April 2018 at Netcare Milpark Hospital in Johannesburg after a chronic illness, at the age of 81.

Latest updates

In 2013 she published 491 Days: Prisoner Number 1323/69, an account of her solitary confinement. The same year, a film titled Winnie Mandela was released that drew on a published biography of her life. Her long and contested public career remains a significant chapter in South Africa’s history of resistance to apartheid.

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This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Winnie Mandela (Nelson Mandela's, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

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Recent Work

491 Days: Prisoner Number 1323/69

Memoir detailing her 18 months in solitary confinement at Pretoria Central Prison.

2013
Winnie Mandela (film)

2013 drama film based on a biography of Winnie Mandela.

2013
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Career Highlights

  1. Joined the African National Congress (ANC) in the mid-1950s
  2. Co-founded the Black Women’s Federation and the Black Parents’ Association
  3. Awarded the United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights (1988)
  4. Published 491 Days: Prisoner Number 1323/69 (2013)
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Winnie Mandela (Nelson Mandela's born?

Winnie Mandela (Nelson Mandela's was born on 26 September 1936.

What is Winnie Mandela (Nelson Mandela's known for?

Winnie Mandela (Nelson Mandela's is known for activist, Politician.

What is Winnie Mandela (Nelson Mandela's’s marital status?

Winnie Mandela (Nelson Mandela's's marital status is listed as Married (m. 1958–div. 1996).

Who is Winnie Mandela (Nelson Mandela's married to?

Winnie Mandela (Nelson Mandela's is publicly listed as married to Nelson Mandela (m. 1958–div. 1996).