The famous school that Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, and Walter Sisulu’s children attended

·8 May 2025

The Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa (Waterford) outside Mbabane, Eswatini, is a cornerstone of South Africa’s liberation struggle.

Waterford was the first school in southern Africa open to children of all colours, and many of South Africa’s leaders’ children attended the school.

They include the children of former South African President Nelson Mandela, struggle hero Desmond Tutu, Albertina and Walter Sisulu.

The school’s close ties to these families are no surprise. Waterford was created in direct opposition to the apartheid regime in South Africa.

Waterford School was established on a mountainside at the edge of Mbabane in 1963, following the six-year tenure of founding headmaster Michael Stern in South Africa.

After Stern became dissatisfied and frustrated with the pervasive environment of racial intolerance, he committed himself to the idea of a multiracial school.

However, he could not teach and live his ideals in South Africa, which is why he decided to launch Waterford in neighbouring Swaziland, now known as Eswatini.

Apart from needing money to build the school, the founders wanted all students who qualified academically to be able to attend regardless of their ability to pay.

In 1963, Michael Stern established the Waterford School Trust in London. The chairman was Eric Abbott, Dean of Westminster.

Early donors included the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Wolfson Foundation, and the Anglo-American Corporation.

Harry Oppenheimer, chairman of Anglo-American, funded the science laboratories, which are still used today.

The campus was originally designed by Portuguese architect Pancho Guedes, who agreed to work with the school’s founding team pro-bono.

On 3 February 1963, Waterford School opened. The first students were 16 boys, including seven white, six black, two coloured, and one Indian student.

Over the next couple of years, the Waterford School grew rapidly, and with it, support for its ethos and mission.

In 1967, King Sobhuza II Ngwenyama of Swaziland granted Waterford School the name Kamhlaba. From then on, the school was known as Waterford Kamhlaba.

Waterford Kamhlaba’s role in South Africa’s liberation struggle

Waterford played a small yet significant role in the struggle for racial equality in the Southern Africa region.

The school educted the children of Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Desmond Tutu, and Nobel prize-winning novelist Nadine Gordimer.

It was also attended by the children of the first President of Botswana, Sir Seretse Khama, and the revolutionary leaders of Mozambique Samora Machel and Eduardo Mondlane.

In a post-Apartheid era, Waterford has sustained its early vision to educate exceptional students regardless of race, religion or financial background.

“The school continues to nurture Africa’s future political, business, and civic leaders,” Waterford says on its website.

Notable alumni include actor Richard E. Grant, former Botswana President Ian Khama, and academics Ruha Benjamin, Thomas Ward, and Alan Whiteside.

To this day, the school aligns with the UWC Education Model’s mission of harnessing education as a force to unite people, nations, and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.

Its current campus has exceptional sports, arts and learning facilities, including a newly renovated multi-purpose hall and rock-climbing wall.

It also features the Richard and Sheila Attenborough Fine Arts Centre and the Creative Centre for Dramatic Learning (CCLD) with an amphitheatre.

It is also home to a blend of indigenous flora and fauna and hiking trails, and has its own bus service that allows students to shop and socialise in the capital city, Mbabane.

Waterford Principal Jackie Otula said the school has a profound legacy centred around diversity, equity, inclusivity, and justice.

“As we look at Waterford Kamhlaba beyond 60 years, we pledge to uphold and advance this rich legacy,” Otula said.

“Our commitment extends to providing high-quality international education, with the aim of producing leaders poised to make a positive impact on the world.”