--- description: In the hours after Nelson Mandela passed away, hundreds of people gathered outside of his home in Johannesburg. Some bowed their heads in mourning, while... title: The World Reacts to Nelson Mandela’s Death image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1c97885306887c83/698a960db21a9c70fb510751/bq2i8946.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) # The World Reacts to Nelson Mandela's Death by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) Dec 6, 2013 4:42 PM CUT  HOUGHTON, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - DECEMBER 6: Following the announcement by President Jacob Zuma, of the death of former President Nelson Mandela (95) crowds have gathered to mourn Mandela's death outside of his house December 6, 2013 in Houghton, Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Jonathan Torgovnik/Reportage by Getty Images) HOUGHTON, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - DECEMBER 6: Following the announcement by President Jacob Zuma, of the death of former President Nelson Mandela (95) crowds have gathered to mourn Mandela's death outside of his house December 6, 2013 in Houghton, Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Jonathan Torgovnik/Reportage by Getty Images)Jonathan Torgovnik by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) Dec 6, 2013 4:42 PM CUT In the hours after Nelson Mandela passed away, hundreds of people gathered outside of his home in Johannesburg. Some bowed their heads in mourning, while others sang and danced in joyous celebration for the life of the legendary anti-apartheid leader who served as South Africa’s first black president. Memorials have sprung up all over the country, and thousands are expected to make the pilgrimage to Mandela’s hometown of Qunu, where his state burial will be held after twelve days of national mourning. South Africa based photographer Jonathan Torgovnik, on assignment for TIME, documented the celebration and bereavement outside of Mandela’s home in Johannesburg. Similar commemorations also sprung up from London to New York to Indonesia. Two months before Mandela died, Francois Pienaar, who captained South Africa to victory in the 1995 Rugby World Cup (with President Mandela wearing his jersey in the audience), reflected on the inevitable loss of the man who united the country. “I hope that his passing is a celebration and a tremendous reflection,” [Pienaar said](http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/south-africa/131206/mandelas-death-the-real-life-invictus-story "undefined"). “If it wasn’t for Nelson Mandela, we would not have been set on this path.” That celebration and reflection extends throughout the world. _– Nate Rawlings_ **Related content:** [The Indispensable Man: Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)](http://world.time.com/2013/12/05/the-indispensable-man-nelson-mandela-1918-2013/ "undefined") [A Tribute to Nelson Mandela by Pulitzer Winner David Turnley](http://lightbox.time.com/2013/12/05/a-tribute-to-nelson-mandela-by-pulitzer-winner-david-turnley/#1 "undefined") [Nelson Mandela: An Indispensable Life in Pictures](http://world.time.com/2013/07/17/nelson-mandela-an-indispensable-life-in-pictures/ "undefined") [The Best Nelson Mandela Covers From Around The World](http://world.time.com/2013/12/06/the-best-nelson-mandela-covers-from-around-the-world/ "undefined") ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7147361/the-world-reacts-to-nelson-mandelas-death/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/archive/7147361/the-world-reacts-to-nelson-mandelas-death/"},"headline":"The World Reacts to Nelson Mandela's Death","datePublished":"2013-12-06T16:42:54.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-16T12:23:17.801Z","description":"In the hours after Nelson Mandela passed away, hundreds of people gathered outside of his home in Johannesburg. 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