Twenty years ago, on February 11 1990, South Africa stood before a momentous precipice of change.

The direction our country would take, then steeped in the mire of apartheid, lay at the feet of Nelson Mandela as he walked through the doors of the Victor Verster Prison, after 27 long years as a political prisoner.

Today, the man who set the course for reconciliation needs no introduction, as he is honoured the world over.

Why not visit one of these attractions around SA as we remember and celebrate our Honourary president Nelson Mandela.

The Nelson Mandela Museum

It's the biggest tourist attraction in Umthatha even though it's not quite easy to find. But once you're there it's one of the most fantastic museums you've ever seen.

That's because it houses numerous gifts, awards, and honours given to Nelson Mandela during his time in prison and during the time he was president of the country.

Find it at the Eastern Cape's Bhunga Building.

Qunu

This is where Nelson Mandela grew up. Today, genealogically, this community is practically a Mandela village. Although much has changed, you can still see how Madiba grew up, and where by his own admission he was the happiest in his youth.

Visiting Qunu offers the opportunity to see the Presbyterian Church that used to be home to Mandela's Qunu Primary School. The church where he was baptised is still there. And you can also see the Mandela family graves.

Mandela Family Museum

Most of the important political figures in our country have at one point or another lived in Soweto. Nelson Mandela is no different.

His home from when he first got married in 1944 can be found in Orlando on Vilakazi Street. This is where he lived with Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and the children in 1958.

Here you can see awards and personal memorabilia from the former couple's early lives.

Constitution Hill

Today Johannesburg's Constitution Hill is home to The Constitution Court, the country's highest court. But it has been a favourite hotbed of political resistance for decades.

The Old Fort prison also used to be here and political prisoners, including Mahatma Ghandi, were held. Nelson Mandela was detained here during the infamous Treason Trial in 1956. He was also brought here in 1962 but was kept in the hospital section so he wouldn't influence other prisoners.

See the permanent exhibition of Mandela's diaries, files, letters, and photos of his time in the fight against apartheid.

Robben Island

Probably the most famous of all the sites associated with Nelson Mandela. He was sentenced to 27 years on the island that used a leper colony.

Today it's a museum, a reminder of the apartheid era. Some ex-prisoners work as the tour guides on the sites. The biggest draw card is Nelson Mandela's former cell, 46664.