How long was Nelson Mandela in prison?

Nelson Mandela served a total of 27 years in prison, but his entire sentence was served in three different prisons. Mandela began serving his sentence in Robben Island before being transferred twice to both Pollsmoor Prison and Victor Verster Prison.

Nelson Mandela was initially sentenced to life in prison after being convicted on charges of conspiring to overthrow the government. Many of Mandela's supporters throughout the world spent decades lobbying for him to be released from prison. After he was released from prison in 1990, Mandela went on to eventually become the President of South Africa in 1994, serving until 1999.