Christo Brand is a South African former prison guard who was one of several that were responsible for guarding Nelson Mandela. He came to Robben Island, where Mandela was being held, in 1978 when he was 19 years old. In 1982 he was transferred along with Mandela to Pollsmoor Prison. Christo and Mandela developed a […]
Christo Brand is a South African former prison guard who was one of several that were responsible for guarding Nelson Mandela. He came to Robben Island, where Mandela was being held, in 1978 when he was 19 years old.
In 1982 he was transferred along with Mandela to Pollsmoor Prison. Christo and Mandela developed a close friendship over the course of many years. He is the co-author of his book, Doing Life with Mandela: My Prisoner, My Friend (2014). Christo retired from Robben Island on 31st July 2018 to pursue his storytelling on a full-time basis.
How was it possible for these two men from such seemingly different backgrounds to develop a relationship which was to become so much more – a lasting friendship based on a mutual trust and respect for each other?
Surely, they should have hated each other. One was a white, 18-year-old Afrikaans speaking prison guard representing the oppressive, apartheid regime of the time; the other – a black, 60-year-old Xhosa speaking terrorist serving a life sentence.
Rather than join the army for National Service as was compulsory for every South African white male, Christo Brand decided to join the prison service. After training for a year in Kroonstad, he applied for a post on Robben Island because he wanted to be close to home.
His application was successful and at the age of 19 he was sent to work on Robben Island in 1978. That was when Christo first came across Nelson Mandela who at that time was 60 years old. This was where they formed a relationship which was to become so much more. A close friendship built on trust and mutual respect for each other.
In 1982, Mandela was transferred to Pollsmoor Prison. On 13th March that year, Christo married Estelle. Soon afterwards, Christo was transferred to Pollsmoor and was responsible for guarding Mandela for the next 6 years.
Encouraged and supported by Nelson Mandela, in 2014 Christo wrote his book “Doing Life with Mandela – My Prisoner, My Friend”, with co-author Barbara Jones.
In the Foreword, Ahmed Kathrada writes: “My lasting impression of Christo Brand is that he’s a very good human being. He’s not a politician; he’s just a very caring man who took chances for other people, which could have brought him trouble.
I sincerely hope that Christo’s book will receive the respect and attention it deserves. It is a valuable addition to the writings about imprisonment in the apartheid era, and it is written by a fine man.
It is also unique in that it is the most honest account I have read by a warden relating their interaction with Nelson Mandela, and for that alone it deserves credit. I wish Christo Brand all the success in the world.”
Contact us at Speakers Inc and subscribe to our YouTube channel
In order to view the below you must be logged in.
Born in Diepkloof Soweto, but raised in Sandton, Mum-Z – Conference Comedian has a style of comedy that can be universally appreciated drawing most of his content from his personal experiences for your Corporate event His career started with presenting on the SABC 2 teenage continuity programme ‘Kidz Can’ in 1997, he then delved in script […]
Dr. Daniel Cunnama is a distinguished South African astrophysicist renowned for his expertise in computational cosmology and his dedication to science communication. He serves as the Science Engagement Astronomer at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), where he bridges the gap between complex astronomical research and public understanding. Based at the South African Astronomical Observatory, […]
Caitlin De Ville is a Zambian born and fiercely patriotic, Cait has performed across the world for Royalty, Presidents and World Leaders. She has performed in Austria, Germany, Ghana, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malawi, Mauritius, Montenegro, Namibia, Romania, Seychelles, South Africa, Spain, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, UAE (Abu Dhabi & Dubai), USA and Zambia! There is no mistaking […]
Carol Tshabalala is one of Africa’s most iconic sports broadcasters and an inspiring pioneer in her field. Dubbed South Africa’s “First Lady of Sport,” Carol has broken barriers in a male-dominated industry, building a career that has spanned over 20 years. Her journey has seen her rise to global recognition, with work that includes covering […]
Kriya Gangiah first became known to the South African public in 2007 when she joined the TUKS FM team. It did not take long for the (then) 17 year olds career to take off. In only three years, listeners could enjoy their lunchtime with Kriya as she hosted the ‘Out to Lunch’ show every weekday […]
Professor Nick Binedell is the founding director and current professor of the University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) and a leadership speaker. He holds a PhD from the University of Washington in Seattle, where he was a Boeing Scholar, an MBA from the University of Cape Town and a Bachelor of Commerce […]
Alfred Adriaan is a young comedian flying up the ranks in the SA comedy scene with two consecutive South African comics’ choice nominations under his belt in the best New Comedian & best Intermediate comedian categories. This is significant considering he has only been on the comedy scene for the last 3 years. This dynamic […]
Nzinga Qunta is a business news anchor with over a decade of experience in radio and television. She is currently anchoring SABC News’ flagship business news bulletin, OnPoint, where she focuses on the top business news stories from across the world and speaks to a range of decision makers on the top stories of the day. She works on radio on […]
No results available
ResetThese remain the property of its owner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by Speakers Inc.
All talent fees exclude VAT, travel and accommodation where required.
Our Mission
Our Mission:
© All rights reserved 2025. Designed using Voxel