The famous leader of the South African anti-apartheid movement was Nelson Mandela. He played a pivotal role in the fight against the institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination enforced by the apartheid regime from the 1940s onward. Arrested and imprisoned for 27 years, Mandela became a symbol of resistance and garnered international support for the anti-apartheid cause. Upon his release in 1990, he facilitated negotiations that ultimately led to the dismantling of apartheid and was elected South Africa’s first Black president in 1994. His leadership and commitment to reconciliation are globally recognized.