Oprah Winfrey honours Mandela ahead of birth centenary concert US television celebrity Oprah Winfrey pays an emotional tribute to Nelson Mandela as she prepares to host a star-studded concert in Johannesburg to cap celebrations marking 100 years since his birth. The concert is the climax of a year of events celebrating the centennial of Mandela's birth in 1918, and is part of a campaign to tackle poverty, child malnutrition and boost gender equality.