RT Africa's new film will reveal personal memories of South Africa's first president through the eyes of those who knew him

Nelson Mandela, South Africa's first president and a global icon for his anti-apartheid efforts, "never lost spirit" during his fight for freedom, his granddaughter Ndileka Mandela has said as part of a new RT Africa's film. Visiting Robben Island for the first time in 40 years, she joined an RT crew to retrace the steps of her grandfather's imprisonment.

Speaking of the cruelty and inhumane conditions under apartheid, Ndileka Mandela recalled the attempts to crush not only her grandfather's body, but also his soul.

"I had never imagined ... how the apartheid system searched to break the humanity, searched to break the spirit," she said.

RT Africa's upcoming film, 'Mandela: man behind the legend', is set to premiere on July 18, Mandela Day. It offers a look into the life of the South African liberation icon. Told through a tapestry of interviews with people who lived and worked close to Mandela, the film intertwines memory and history, politics and legacy.

"He remained a rural boy at heart through and through," Ndileka Mandela said.

Xoliswa Ndoyiya, Nelson Mandela's former personal chef, describes feeling more like a daughter than an employee, saying: "The legacy for me is the values that I took from him. Loving people, sharing with people, caring for people, and most of all to respect people."

'Mandela: man behind the legend' leads viewers to Robben Island, once a symbol of brutal repression where Mandela spent 18 years behind bars, but now a place of memory. 

Through intimate stories and reflections, the film reveals the enduring strength behind Mandela's message and how his values continue to shape generations far beyond South Africa.

READ MORE: AFRICA: LEGACY OF THE GREAT LEADERS - RT PRESENTS A PROJECT FEATURING DESCENDANTS OF MANDELA, LUMUMBA, AND NASSER

The apartheid era in South Africa, which lasted from 1948 to 1994, was a system of racial segregation implemented by the all-white government. It enforced policies that discriminated against non-white South Africans. Nelson Mandela became a leading figure in the resistance, organizing campaigns against the regime. After being imprisoned for 27 years on charges of sabotage, he was released and eventually elected president. Mandela, who passed away in 2013, became the first democratically elected president of South Africa and the first black person to hold the position.