(CNN) -- Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid icon, Nobel peace laureate and South Africa's first black president, celebrated his 90th birthday Friday by doing something he had indicated he would not do again -- grant an interview to journalists. 

Mandela sits at the 6th Nelson Mandela Lecture in Soweto, Johannesburg. 

A cheerful-looking Mandela welcomed CNN's Robyn Curnow, along with reporters from two other organizations, into the sitting room of his home in Qunu, a small village in the rolling hills of South Africa's eastern Cape region where he grew up. 

"What day is this?" Mandela joked, pretending not to realize it was his birthday. 

He used a smile to dodge Curnow's first question of what was his favorite memory from his long life. He did say he was very happy to have lived to be 90. 

Mandela credited his longevity to the way he conducted his life. He is known to be disciplined with his diet and exercise. 

Asked if, in hindsight, he wishes he had spent more time with his family, he answered yes. 

"I don't regret it because the things that attracted me were things that pleased my soul." 

Graca Machel, whom he married on his 80th birthday, sat nearby and Mandela was surrounded by grandchildren. Watch what Mandela's grandchildren have to say » 

Mandela then lamented the gap between rich and poor in South Africa. 

"Poverty still grips our people. If you're poor, you're not likely to live for long," he said. Watch CNN's Mandela interview » 

This was Mandela's first meeting with reporters since he announced in 2004 that he would give no more interviews. While he stayed out of the spotlight over the last four years, he has stayed busy with his charitable causes. 
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A cheerful-looking Mandela welcomed CNN's Robyn Curnow