Pollsmoor Prison - Tokai, Cape Town
Pollsmoor Prison, situated in Tokai on the southern outskirts of Cape Town, is one of South Africa’s most historically significant correctional facilities. Opened in the 1960s, the prison complex has played an important role in the country’s modern history and is best known for its association with the final years of apartheid.
The prison entered the international spotlight when Nelson Mandela was transferred there from Robben Island in 1982. He spent six years at Pollsmoor before being moved to Victor Verster Prison near Paarl in 1988. During his time at Pollsmoor, Mandela held a number of confidential meetings with representatives of the apartheid government, discussions that laid the groundwork for the negotiations which ultimately led to South Africa’s peaceful transition to democracy.
Today, Pollsmoor remains a working correctional facility and is not open to the public as a tourist attraction. Nevertheless, its historical significance makes it an important landmark in South Africa’s democratic journey. Visitors interested in this chapter of the nation’s history often combine a drive past the prison with visits to nearby heritage attractions such as Robben Island Museum, the District Six Museum and the Nelson Mandela Gateway, which together tell the broader story of the struggle against apartheid and the triumph of reconciliation.
Contact details for the Pollsmoor Correctional Centre are:
Address: Steenberg Road, Tokai, Cape Town, 7945, South Africa Department Correction Service Pollsmoor Prison
Main telephone: (021) 700 1111
Postal address: Private Bag X4, Tokai, 7966, South Africa
For specific correctional centres within the Pollsmoor complex:
Pollsmoor Maximum Correctional Centre: (021) 700 1150
Pollsmoor Medium A Correctional Centre: (021) 700 1179
Pollsmoor Medium B Correctional Centre: (021) 700 1214
Pollsmoor Female Correctional Centre: (021) 700 7847
Pollsmoor Medium C Correctional Centre: (021) 700 1293
Nearby Towns
- ▸ Pollsmoor (0.8km)
- ▸ Forest Glade (1km)
- ▸ Steenberg Golf Estate (1km)
- ▸ Tokai (1.2km)
- ▸ Zwaanswyk (1.2km)
- ▸ Westlake (1.3km)
- ▸ Dennendal (1.8km)
- ▸ Kirstenhof (2.1km)
- ▸ Sweet Valley (2.1km)
- ▸ Stonehurst Mountain Estate (2.1km)
- ▸ Dreyersdal (2.4km)
- ▸ Porter Reform Estate (2.4km)
- ▸ Fir Grove (2.7km)
- ▸ Lakeside (2.8km)
- ▸ Nova Constantia (3.3km)