This followed a 10-day period of mourning and celebrating Mr Mandela's life after his death at the age of 95.
Mr. Mandela was given a state funeral at his ancestral home in Qunu in the Eastern Cape on Sunday.
African National Congress members, veterans of the fight against apartheid and foreign dignitaries - including several African presidents and the Prince of Wales - were among the guests.
The statue was unveiled by President Jacob Zuma on South Africa's Day of Reconciliation, a public holiday which marks the end of racial conflict in South Africa.
During his address at the funeral on Sunday, Mr Zuma pledged to build on Mr Mandela's legacy.
"As you take your final steps, is that South Africa will continue to rise... because we dare not fail you," he said.