Previously unreleased African Youth Survey findings, published on the 70th anniversary of the historic Women’s March, reveal overwhelming recognition of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s sacrifice, defiance and place in South Africa’s liberation story
- 51% of young South Africans name Winnie Madikizela-Mandela as Africa’s greatest female liberation fighter, more than eight times the level recorded for her nearest South African rival.
- In a separate ranking of those who sacrificed most for the anti-apartheid movement, Winnie is the highest-ranked woman on 36%, behind Nelson Mandela on 61% and just one point behind Steve Biko on 37%.
- 89% call Winnie one of the greatest icons of the anti-apartheid movement, while 81% say she sacrificed the most of all leaders in the liberation struggle.
- The findings follow the success of the Netflix Top 10 documentary The Trials of Winnie Mandela. Executive Producer Ivor Ichikowitz is available for interview.
9 August 2026, Johannesburg: Seventy years after 20,000 women marched on the Union Buildings and shook the foundations of apartheid, a new generation of South Africans has delivered a powerful verdict on the woman it regards as the defining female figure of the liberation struggle.
Exclusive findings from the Africa Youth Survey research programme show that 51% of young South Africans named Winnie Madikizela-Mandela as Africa’s greatest female liberation fighter. Her nearest South African rivals were Albertina Sisulu on 6% and Helen Joseph on 5%, giving Mama Winnie a lead of more than eight to one over any other woman named.
In a separate question asking respondents to select up to three people who sacrificed the most for the anti-apartheid movement, 36% chose Winnie Mandela. She was the highest-ranked woman, just one percentage point behind Steve Biko on 37% and behind Nelson Mandela on 61%. The findings identify Nelson Mandela as the leading male liberation figure and Winnie Mandela as the leading woman in the minds of young South Africans.
Ivor Ichikowitz, Founder and Commissioner of the African Youth Survey and Executive Producer of The Trials of Winnie Mandela, is available for broadcast, print, podcast and online interviews to discuss the findings, the documentary and Winnie Mandela’s legacy among younger South Africans.
Ivor Ichikowitz said:
“This is a verdict from the generation born after apartheid, and it is impossible to dismiss. Young South Africans see Winnie Mandela as a central protagonist in the liberation story, a woman who carried the struggle in public while paying an extraordinary private price. Their judgement is not uncritical, but it is clear: history diminished her contribution and they are now demanding a fuller account of who fought, who suffered and who was allowed to define the national memory.”
A generation reassessing Winnie
The research reveals the depth of young South Africans’ identification with Winnie Mandela’s role and the price she paid. Some 89% agree that she was one of the greatest icons of the anti-apartheid movement, including 58% who strongly agree.
A further 81% agree that she sacrificed the most of all the leaders in the liberation struggle. Some 84% describe her as a fallen hero prepared to sacrifice laws and lives in pursuit of revolution and redress, while 76% say she was a product of apartheid whose actions and legacy must be judged within that context.
Ichikowitz added: “What matters is that this generation is examining the evidence for itself. It is not asking for a sanitised heroine. It is asking for an honest history which recognises the scale of Winnie Mandela’s sacrifice, the brutality of the system she confronted and the complexity of the choices that struggle imposed.”
Netflix success fuels a national conversation
The findings are released less than four months after the premiere of The Trials of Winnie Mandela, the Ichikowitz Family Foundation-backed seven-part documentary series that launched on Netflix on 23 April 2026. Executive produced by Ivor Ichikowitz after a 12-year journey to bring Winnie Mandela’s story to the screen, the series was a fixture of Netflix South Africa’s Top 10 after its launch and became the focus of extensive national debate across television, radio, newspapers and social media.
Framed through the journey of Winnie Mandela’s granddaughters and drawing on her own testimony, the series presents a complex account of a freedom fighter, political leader, mother and grandmother whose legacy has often been reduced to either reverence or condemnation. Its success demonstrated the scale of public interest in revisiting her life, particularly among younger South Africans encountering the fuller story for the first time.
Ichikowitz added: “The response to the documentary has been extraordinary because it opened a conversation South Africa had postponed for too long. These findings show that the conversation began before the cameras rolled. A generation that did not live through apartheid is reaching conclusions that challenge the simpler version of history it inherited.”
Women’s Day: reverence for the past, alarm about the present
The findings are published on South Africa’s National Women’s Day, marking the 70th anniversary of the 9 August 1956 Women’s March. More than 20,000 women marched to the Union Buildings against the extension of pass laws, creating one of the defining moments in the country’s liberation history.
The survey shows that respect for the women of the liberation struggle sits alongside intense concern about the position and safety of women today. Some 95% of young South Africans surveyed are concerned about gender-based violence and femicide, including 81% who are very concerned.
A further 93% are concerned that women’s rights are not adequately protected, including 79% who are very concerned. Some 82% agree that Africa still does not have enough female leaders and role models, including 57% who strongly agree.
The Africa Youth Survey 2026
The new data is being released as the Ichikowitz Family Foundation builds on the July launch of the Africa Youth Survey 2026. Commissioned by the Foundation and conducted by PSB Insights, the latest edition interviewed 4,901 young Africans aged 18 to 24 across 16 countries in March 2026, making it the largest edition of the recurring survey to date.
Launched in 2020, the Africa Youth Survey gives governments, business, civil society and the media a rigorous understanding of the views of Africa’s rising generation. Since its inception, the programme has covered 28 countries through more than 18,000 face-to-face interviews, creating one of the continent’s most substantial recurring bodies of youth opinion.
The first part of the 2026 report released last month examines young Africans’ views on democracy, leadership, employment, security, international partnerships and the future. It finds a generation strongly committed to democratic principles but expects political systems and international partners to deliver practical improvements in jobs, services, stability and opportunity.
About the African Youth Survey
The most comprehensive study of its kind to date, the African Youth Survey 2026 gives a voice to one of the world’s most consequential demographics, providing young Africans with the opportunity to share their opinions, experiences and ambitions with the world.
Since its inception in 2020, the Survey has become a valued resource for policymakers, media and stakeholders seeking high-quality research on the issues that matter most to Africa’s youth. Research is conducted by PSB Insights, a global insights consultancy, and since 2020 the survey has covered 28 countries with over 18,000 face to face interviews. Interviews were conducted in March 2026. Approximately 300 interviews were carried out per market, with a 50:50 male to female sample split. Respondents were nationals of the country surveyed aged 18-24 and were offered the survey in local languages. No incentives were offered as part of the research.
Where 2026 African Youth numbers are shown on their own, this includes all countries surveyed for this year’s research: Burkina Faso, Chad, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Comparisons of change between 2020, 2022, 2024 and 2026 are shown only among countries that have been researched in every wave of research, which are Congo Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Zambia.
About The Trials of Winnie Mandela
The seven-part documentary series premiered exclusively on Netflix on 23 April 2026. Centred on Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s own voice and the journey of her granddaughters, it examines her political life, personal sacrifices, controversies and historical legacy. The series was executive produced by Ivor Ichikowitz and remained a fixture of Netflix South Africa’s Top 10 following its release
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