Nelson Mandela University’s South Campus is considered the main campus of the University and it houses the main administration, including the office of the Vice-Chancellor, in its 18 story main building.
The campus is built on a private nature reserve covering 830 hectares and a conservation site for fynbos vegetation. The reserve has 22 mammal species (including springbok), 16 reptile species, four amphibian species, and 66 bird species. The 4.8km Grysbok Trail is great for hiking and starts at the Biological Sciences parking area. Nelson Mandela University is also the only University in South Africa to offer game drives in a 4X4 vehicle.
This campus is also home to the High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope centre housing four state-of-the-art electron microscopes including the only double aberration corrected transmission electron microscope on the African continent, which in layman’s terms means it can view atoms!