Mandela granddaughters star in reality TV show

They make an emotional visit to the prison on Robben Island where their grandfather spent 18 of his 27 years imprisoned by the apartheid regime, NBCUniversal, the American corporate owner of the show’s broadcaster, said in a statement.

They are also seen – along with their two brothers – launching a fashion line called Long Walk to Freedom. That is the title of their grandfather’s autobiography.

The two women, who spent much of their childhood in exile in the US, insist the programme will not damage the Mandela name.

“We get asked this question a lot. Is this not going to tarnish the name and is this not going to be bad for the name?” Swati said in an interview with the Associated Press.

“But our grandparents have always said to us, this is our name too, and we can do what we think is best fitting with the name, as long as we treat it with respect and integrity.”

Mr Mandela served as South Africa’s first black president from 1994 to 1999 and is regarded by many as the father of the nation.

His health has been a cause of concern for many years. He first contracted tuberculosis in the 1980s while imprisoned at Robben Island and has been admitted to hospital on three occasions in the past two years.

He retired from public life in 2004 and has been rarely seen in public since.

Being Mandela is to be broadcast to US audiences from Sunday by COZI TV, a network launched by NBC Owned Television Studios.