People waving flags and cheering and singing - in places 10 to 12 deep - lined the route taken by the cortege through Mthatha town to pay their last respects.
Large numbers of people lined the roads in the rural region to pay their respects as the cortege passed by.
The coffin was flown from Waterkloof airbase in Pretoria on a C130 military aircraft, escorted by two fighter jets. Over 100,000 attendees saw the former South African president's body lying in state in Pretoria over the last three days, but some had to be turned away.
In line with tribal custom, Nelson Mandela's grandson Mandla accompanied him on the journey, speaking to his coffin to tell him he was on his way home to rest.
The coffin draped in a South African flag was moved by a military guard of honour and placed in a hearse to begin the 32km journey to Qunu, where Mr Mandela had wanted to spend his final days and where he will be buried.
Tears as well as smiles could be seen on the faces of onlookers. "He is finally coming home to rest, I can't even begin to describe the feeling I have inside," 31-year-old Bongani Zibi mourned. "Part of me is sad but I'm also happy that he has found peace."
A multi-faith service and a musical tribute held their turns.
Mourners heard President Zuma pay his own tribute to Nelson Mandela, calling him a "towering figure", "a man of action" and a "democrat who understood the world."
"Yes, we will miss him... He was our father, he was our guardian. He was something special."
"We'll always keep you in our hearts," Mr Zuma said.
It was a powerful moment for the local community to see their liberator coming home, said Milton Nkosi, a BBC reporter in Qunu.
The Thembu community will conduct a traditional Xhosa ceremony - including songs and poems about Mr Mandela's life and his achievements - in a giant white marquee that has been specially erected.
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