The outpouring of emotion following the death of Nelson Mandela was global, but those in South Africa, which was remade in his image, celebrate him in ways that would be hard for anyone who did not live in South Africa to fully comprehend.

“While it is true that the world celebrates him, we have a special relationship with Madiba here in Cape Town," Cape Town executive mayor Patricia de Lille told a special council meeting. "To our shame, he was imprisoned here for most of his 27-year incarceration. But it was also from here that he gave his first address after his release and where he presided over a new constitutional order.”

When Mandela received the honor of the Freedom of the City in 1997, Mandela expressed his feeling for Cape Town.

“In Cape Town resides part of the souls of many nations and cultures, priceless threads in the rich diversity of our African nation… It was the people of Cape Town who welcomed me on my first day of freedom… Perhaps it was history that ordained that it be here, at the Cape of Good Hope, that we should lay the foundation stone of our new nation . . . For it was here at this Cape, over three centuries ago, that there began the fateful convergence of the peoples of Africa, Europe and Asia on these shores.”

Mayor de Lille, whom Mandela called his favorite opposition politician, spoke at the interfaith service in honor of Mandela, saying, “Here we stand, in solidarity and in remembrance. We stand as witnesses to the passing of a man but the rebirth of his spirit. In truth, Madiba has been absent from public life for some time.

"But in our selfish attachment, we thrived in the knowledge that somewhere, somehow, he remained with us. In these past few months, however, we learned that as he did his duty to us, so too must we do our duty to him. It was time for us to let him go … But though loss brings pain, and though death brings sadness, so too can they bring celebration. We are all here tonight because we are moved by something larger than ourselves: that national spirit that has sometimes faded and sometimes shone since 1994. That spirit lives tonight and thrives. It is the spirit of a joy that transcends that which has divided us.”

The tourism industry acknowledged its special debt to Mandela in the days following his death.

Those in tourism in South Africa know that they could not possibly be doing what they are doing if it had not been for Mandela.

Thulani Nzima, CEO of South African Tourism, said, “Nelson Mandela single-handedly put South Africa on the map for billions of people around the world. Travel anywhere and say you are from South Africa and without a doubt the first word people will utter is ‘Mandela’.

"This is because he is not only a hero for all South Africans, forever changing the course of our combined history, but also because his incredible leadership ability, compassion and vision made him a hero for the whole world, earning him iconic status in every country on earth. Mandela opened up our beautiful country, once a pariah state, to the rest of the world and his name alone has attracted millions of tourists to South Africa every year, wanting to walk in his footsteps.

"Nelson Mandela will be sorely missed forever by every South African. We are however heartened that South Africans and the rest of the world can continue to be inspired and touched by him by visiting the places where he walked, talked, planned, dreamed, laughed, cried and ultimately changed the course of South Africa and the world’s history.” 

In a statement Monwabisi Kalawe, the CEO of the South African Airways Group, said, “Tata Mandela is the father of nations, a revered global icon, a revolutionary, a diplomat, a former president and a beacon of greatness that is celebrated all across the world.

"This is a man who compassionately offered close to seven decades of his life serving others. He sacrificed 27 years of his freedom to ensure that all South Africans are free. Each of us can learn from his commitment and selflessness in serving the people of South Africa. His infinite wisdom helped this country to achieve its greatest achievement yet – to free ourselves from the shackles of apartheid and transform into, in an exemplary and peaceful manner, a democracy.”