The famous African leader who fought against apartheid was Nelson Mandela. Born in 1918 in South Africa, Mandela became a prominent anti-apartheid revolutionary, leading the fight against the institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination imposed by the apartheid regime. He was a key member of the African National Congress (ANC) and was imprisoned for 27 years for his activism. Mandela's leadership was pivotal in the peaceful transition to a multiracial democracy in South Africa, which culminated in his election as the country's first Black president in 1994. His legacy embodies the struggle for freedom and equality worldwide.