Former US president Barack Obama will deliver this year's Nelson Mandela lecture‚ the Nelson Mandela Foundation announced on Monday.

The foundation said Obama had accepted the invitation to the annual event. This year would have been Mandela's 100th birthday‚ which has been celebrated with a series of events.

"The @NelsonMandela Foundation is honoured to announce that President Barack Obama accepted our invitation to be the speaker at this years... 16th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture to take place in Johannesburg on 17 July‚ ahead of Madiba’s birthday‚" the foundation tweeted.

Obama‚ who has often cited Madiba as a source of inspiration‚ attended Mandela's funeral in 2013. Mandela's birthday is on July 18.