In November 2009, the UN General Assembly declared 18 July "Nelson Mandela International Day" in recognition of the former South African President’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom.

Nelson Mandela on 17 April 2008 was proclaimed as an honorary citizen of Belgrade and he was the first statesman who, after 22 years, receives this honorable recognition of the Serbian capital. In line with this, in 2012, among other things, a special postage stamp with his character was issued in the Republic of Serbia on the occasion of the 100 Years from the Founding of African National Congress.

During his stay in Mpumalanga, the Ambassador Nikolic discussed the possibilities of improving bilateral relations, especially in the field of economic cooperation between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of South Africa and its province Mpumalanga.