JHB/NAMM/0013

The statue was commissioned in July 2002 and completed in February 2004. It was unveiled in the square on March 31, 2004. It was sculpted by Kobus Hattingh and Jacob Maponyane. The Square, then known by its original name of Sandton Square, was first opened to the public in 1994. The shopping centre was designed in a faux-Italian style and the square was designed to resemble St Marks Square in Venice. Its design included a library, theatre and gallery.
The statue was erected in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of South Africa's first democratic elections.It was the first-ever public statue of Mandela and was unveiled by his eldest granddaughter, Ndileka Mandela, who said of the statue that "While we honour Nelson Mandela in this statue, we are also honouring South Africa. He's not just a grandfather to us, but to the whole nation". A box for donations for the Nelson Mandela Foundation was placed beside the statue.The statue depicts Mandela wearing his Madiba shirt and dancing in what was referred to at the unveiling as the "Madiba jive". Basetsana Kumalo, the master of ceremonies at the statue's unveiling, said that it was "a very happy statue. The dancing stance pays tribute to the spirit of joy and celebration inherent in the people of South Africa – this is the Madiba jive".The decision to rename the Square after Mandela was criticized by some as Mandela had long stood for the disadvantaged and the square stands in the most opulent area of the country. Gary Vipond, the Square's manager, defended the decision by explaining that, "The Square is optimistic, expressive and confident, like the Madiba jive, and represents a sophisticated, eclectic, cosmopolitan success story."
The shopping centre is connected to Sandton City and, together, they form the largest retail complex in Africa. The square itself is approximately 1000m2 and houses many shops, restaurants and a library on the far end.