[3] South Africa House was built by Holland, Hannen & Cubitts in the 1930s[4] on the site of what had been Morley's Hotel.

[6] The building was acquired by the government of South Africa as its main diplomatic presence in the UK.

In 1961, South Africa became a republic, and withdrew from the Commonwealth due to its policy of racial segregation.

During the 1980s, the building, which was one of the only South African diplomatic missions in a public area, was targeted by protesters from around the world.

In 2001, Mandela again appeared on the balcony of South Africa House to mark the seventh anniversary of Freedom Day, when the apartheid system was officially abolished.