Number Four
The black prisoners' jail.
The Heritage Portal — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Stefan Schäfer, Lich — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Harvey Barrison from Massapequa, NY, USA — CC BY-SA 2.0 · Olaniyan Olushola — CC BY-SA 4.0
A historic complex on a hill in Johannesburg that went from a notorious prison to the seat of democratic South Africa's Constitutional Court, and since 2024 part of the UNESCO-listed Nelson Mandela Legacy Sites. It began as a prison in 1892, then President Paul Kruger built a fort around it between 1896 and 1899. Over the decades thousands were held here, including Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, and the section for black prisoners, known as Number Four, was infamous for its harsh conditions. Today you can visit the Old Fort, the Number Four cells and the Women's Gaol on tours led by guides, sometimes former prisoners. Beside them stands the modern Constitutional Court, built partly with bricks from the demolished prison blocks, with artworks from across the country in its foyer. Guided tours are priced by type, and booking ahead is best. The site is close to the city centre and is usually combined with the Apartheid Museum in one day.
The black prisoners' jail.
Kruger's era.
Built with prison bricks.
Braamfontein, north of central Johannesburg
Thousands over the decades, including Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi.