The influential leader of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa is Nelson Mandela. Born in 1918, Mandela became a key figure in the struggle against apartheid, the institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination that was in place in South Africa. He was a member of the African National Congress (ANC) and eventually became the organization's president. Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years for his activism, becoming a symbol of resistance against oppression. After his release in 1990, he played a crucial role in negotiating the end of apartheid and promoting reconciliation. In 1994, he became South Africa’s first Black president, heralding a new era of democracy.