The app was developed by South African Tourism in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Foundation in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the former president's release from prison.
The app is based on the 'Madiba-inspired tourist attractions' map launched in 2014 to encourage tourists from around the world and South Africa to travel the country and walk in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela. It features tourist sites as well as general places of interest in the four main provinces that defined Mandela's life. These range from the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Robben Island, where he was imprisoned, to his post-presidential office at the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, to Qunu in the Eastern Cape, where he was laid to rest.
"This app is inspired by a true South African icon and users now have the ability to find, experience and share some of the best attractions, places of interests and unique content we have ever been able to put together as part of this 'Madiba-inspired tourist attractions' offering. As we remember the historic year of Madiba's release from prison, we encourage everyone to use the app to discover some of the stories behind the legend. This is an exciting new layer to the map, which has already proved to be hugely popular with the international and domestic travel trade. This app makes 'walking in the footsteps of Madiba' much easier than before, and greatly enriches visitors' experiences of the attractions associated with one of the greatest men of our time, Nelson Mandela," said Minister of Tourism Derek Hanekom.
Minister Hanekom launched the new app at Liliesleaf in Rivonia, one of the places featured on the map. Liliesleaf is also a place that was once the nerve centre of the liberation movement and a place of refuge for its leaders, including former President Nelson Mandela.
The GPS-enabled app uses location-based services to establish which attraction the user is visiting and provides real-time information to enrich their experience. This includes written information on the attraction, audio describing the attraction and other relevant information including contact details, map previews and photo galleries.
The app also gives users their proximity from other 'Madiba-inspired tourist attractions' and includes an itinerary builder, helping to make it as easy as possible for those wanting to visit numerous attractions to plan their route. It also makes it simple for visitors to share their experience on social media and features a rewards system linked to visitors' social media activity. The rewards system will also encourage visitors to visit more than one Madiba site.
The app is now available for download in English from the Apple iTunes store (iOS devices) and the Google Play store (Android devices). It will soon be available in other languages including: Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Dutch, French, German, Italian, simple Mandarin, and Portuguese.
