– US President Barack Obama: "He achieved more than could be expected of any man."
– South African President Jacob Zuma: "Our nation has lost its greatest son. Our people have lost a faties."
– Former South African president F.W. de Klerk: "I believe that his example will live on and that it will not stop to inspire all South Africans to achieve his vision of non-racialism, justice, human dignity, and equality for all."
– British Prime Minister David Cameron: "A great light has gone out in the world."
– Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh: "A giant among men has passed away. This is as much India's loss as South Africa's. He was a true Gandhian."
– Chinese President Xi Jinping: "With arduous and extraordinary efforts, he led the people of South Africa to success in the struggle against apartheid, making a historic contribution to the birth and development of a new South Africa."
– Former US president Bill Clinton: "History will remember Nelson Mandela as a champion of human dignity and freedom, for peace and reconciliation."
– Britain's Queen Elizabeth II: "He worked tirelessly for the good of his country, and his legacy is the peaceful South Africa we see today."
– Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan: "A source of inspiration to oppressed peoples all over the world."
– Archbishop Desmond Tutu: "He was a unifier from the moment he walked out of prison. He taught us how to come together and believe in ourselves."
– Brazil football legend Pele: "He was my hero, my friend."
– Britain's Prince Charles: "With his passing, there will be an immense void."
– Boxing great Muhammad Ali: "He taught us forgiveness on a grand scale. His was a spirit born free, destined to soar above the rainbows. Today his spirit is soaring through the heavens. He is now forever free."
– England Footballer David Beckham: "We have lost a true gentleman and a courageous human being."