The hiss of a spray can adds to the sound of Woodstock’s bustle. Street artist Chad Hanning is painting an animated visual on a once-bland wall. The cartoon figures he creates depict a multitude of feelings and offer commentary on South African politics. Hanning’s creative pursuit is a brave one. In 2010, the City of Cape Town passed a bylaw declaring the presence of graffiti anywhere within its formal jurisdiction a public nuisance. All signs of this expressive act were painted over. But Hanning believes these uniform surroundings don’t represent our vivid rainbow nation. Creating under the name Bushywopp, he’s determined to solidify the importance of street art.
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If your clothes could talk, what would they say? Designer Balini Naidoo believes an outfit can do more than make a statement. Naidoo’s uncle is visually impaired, and she realised he struggled to identify his clothing. Choosing what to wear and reading the size and wash care details on a label can be a challenge for people who can’t see. “Fashion should be inclusive,” Naidoo says. So she began creating garments which enable people to become more self-reliant. With her range of braille apparel, she’s altering the industry.
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Behind the boasts of drums, rows of straight-faced schoolchildren stand tall. This marching squad is in formation and they mean business. For Athrah Lakay, it’s a place of comfort beneath the tough veneer. In the face of uncertainty, the routine of the drill helps the 15-year-old pupil gain confidence in her next step.
Marching bands are well-loved within schools in the Mitchells Plain community. It’s a celebrated tradition in the Cape Flats, commemorated in the annual Kaapse Klopse festival. At Spine Road High School, Lakay and her schoolmates assemble every week to practise.
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Lebogang Mokwena only learnt to ride a bicycle at the age of 30. When she did, it changed her life. Her newfound skills opened up a world of freedom and accessibility. But many miss out on the chance, having never owned a bicycle. “Not everyone’s childhood is the same,” Mokwena says. So she’s made it her mission to level the playing field by offering mobility to others. It all begins with teaching people how to ride.
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See those stylish images on social media? They don’t portray the diversity of this world. As a fashion photographer, Justin Dingwall recognised a lack of inclusivity. But he had the power to take action. “I believe I have responsibility to change conversations,” Dingwall says. So he began teaming up with people who don’t fit the standard, people with stories to tell. His collaborations allow a person’s individuality to inform aesthetics. The result is a deconstruction not just of perceptions, but societal beliefs.
Dingwall seeks to bring deliberately ignored topics to the surface. “It is important to have a message within my work,” he says. When Thando Hopa approached him to do a shoot, Dingwall turned his camera to the narrow ideas of beauty.
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For children used to the fast-paced thrill of soccer, golf can be pretty boring. This left Prince Modiba with a challenge: how do you get kids interested in the sport? When he began coaching youth in Soweto, he had to build their curiosity and skills from the ground up. But Modiba managed to pique their attention, motivating the kids to come back and learn more. In a community where golf used to be inaccessible, Modiba is giving them the chance to swing for success.
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Gary Kirsten knows all about winning. For years, the former Protea was one of the nation’s favourite opening batsmen. In 2011, he coached India to Cricket World Cup victory, shooting his status as a cricketing icon out of the park. But Kirsten’s most recent win has been the hearts of Khayelitsha. There, he realised that real talent can come from any background, but not everyone gets the same opportunities in life. The local hero turned his attention to youth who have no access to professional sports training. “Cricket has done so much for me,” Kirsten says. “I want to pass on my skills to the future of South African cricket.”
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Not one second passes Lindsey Appolis by unnoticed. He sees the everyday beauty that’s often clouded by perceptions and preconceived notions. Camera in hand, he’s exposing the splendour around him – particularly of the Cape Flats. “My photographic style is cinematic,” Appolis says. “I’m giving you a glimpse into my memories and how things look to me.” Having grown up here, Appolis is resolute to show his community in a new light.
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Who goes canoeing through a township? For Siyanda Sopangisa, it’s a natural progression from his days of swimming in Khayelitsha’s wetlands. The waters were an integral part of his childhood. But over time, he watched as the river filled with trash. “The wetlands I knew as a young boy were gone,” Sopangisa says. He didn’t despair. Instead, Sopangisa saw an opportunity. Not only would he restore the river – he’d do it from a boat.
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Abduraghmaan Morris is an absolute gentleman. He’s always impeccably dressed, and there’s an unmissable tenderness in his voice. When Morris sings, there isn’t a dry eye in the house. That’s not his intention, but the tunes of his choir are so filled with emotion, the reaction can’t be helped. Morris is the president of the oldest Malay choir in Cape Town. Their liedjies, or folk songs, are a blend of Dutch and Eastern melodies, infused with soul and sentiment of centuries gone by. Though they resonate notes of a colourful world, they are also rooted in a deeply painful history.
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Peering over her glasses, Farieda Abrahams reads aloud from the book she’s just published. As her voice softens, her eyebrows furrow. Precious memories are embedded into every word. How could the feelings of revisiting her childhood not erupt on the grandmother’s face? Growing up in the District Six area of Cape Town, Abrahams watched how drugs, gangsterism and unemployment ravaged the community after the apartheid government forcefully removed them. But for years, she kept the stories of the past on the back page while raising her three children and six grandchildren. Though she fulfilled her obligation to her family, Abrahams had a bigger duty – to share her personal and painful history.
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It’s 2002. Dallas Oberholzer, champion skateboarder, sets foot in Isithumba, in the sprawling Valley of a Thousand Hills. He has a vision for something unheard of in the area: a skate park. But in the face of uncertainty, he turned his idea into a reality, and opened Indigo Skate Camp, a place for vulnerable youths to try their foot at the sport and grind a new path in life.
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