The symbol of the fight against apartheid was Nelson Mandela, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1962 for his activities on behalf of the black community.

The dismantling of the apartheid system began in the 1990s. The new government began reforms in the country by releasing Nelson Mandela, who in 1994, as a result of the first general elections in the country's history, was elected the first black president of South Africa. A year earlier, in 1993, Nelson Mandela won the Nobel Peace Prize.