Madikizela-Mandela was born on 26 September 1936 in Bizana, Pondoland, Transkei, South Africa. She studied at the University of South Africa. She was married to Nelson Mandela from 1958 until they divorced in 1996. They had two children. Madikizela-Mandela died of complications from diabetes on 2 April 2018 in Johannesburg at the age of 81.