Genadendal Residence

Genadendal Residence
Map
Former namesOnder Schuur, then Westbrooke in 1828[1]
General information
Architectural styleVictorian-Georgian
LocationGroote Schuur Estate
Town or cityCape Town
CountrySouth Africa
Coordinates33°57′51″S 18°27′55″E / 33.9643°S 18.4652°E / -33.9643; 18.4652
Construction started18th century

Genadendal Residence [χəˈnɑːdəndal] is the official Cape Town residence of the president of South Africa,[2] situated on the Groote Schuur estate in Rondebosch. It has been the official residence since 1994 when Nelson Mandela took up residence here rather than the main Groote Schuur manor house.[3] The mixed Victorian-Georgian residence, formerly known as Westbrooke, is named after the town of Genadendal[4] – itself an Afrikaans word meaning "Valley of Mercy",[5] until it was changed to the current name in 1995.[2]

The residence first came into existence in the early 18th century as a grain barn, and was converted into a residence in the mid-1800s.[2]

  1. ^ "Westbrooke / De Kleine Schuur / now Genadendal details". www.artefacts.co.za. Retrieved 23 July 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Genadendal". The Presidency. Archived from the original on 9 May 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  3. ^ Sampson, Anthony (2011). Mandela: The Authorised Biography. London: HarperCollins. pp. 496–497. ISBN 9780007437979.
  4. ^ Weber, Rebecca (11 December 2013). "Revisiting Nelson Mandela's Genadendal". USA Today. Retrieved 6 December 2015.
  5. ^ Meredith, Martin (6 September 2011). The Fate of Africa: A History of the Continent Since Independence. PublicAffairs. p. 658. ISBN 9781610391320.