3 of South Africas

Most Significant
Photographers
Right Now

Clay Jar Photography

25 Balmoral Heights, Balmoral
Road West Beach,
Cape Town 7441
(082) 482-9457

Photography has always had a certain influence in South Africa.

Recently, a South African architect helped transform young lives through
the use of a camera. In 2009, he launched I Was Shot in Joburg, wherein
workers craft products inspired by photos taken by their very own
photographers.

Since its launch, the project has paved new opportunities for a dozen
young teens, helping them shun street violence and earn a decent living.
The passion for photography has certainly extended to the mastery of the
art. Introducing some of the most influential and most critically acclaimed
South African photographers today:

Sabelo Mlangeni
Born 1980 in Mpumalanga, Mlageni is a contemporary photographer who
gained worldwide recognition and awards. His documentation of life in SA
has put him in critically acclaimed exhibitions, such as Rise and Fall of
Apartheid and Figures and Fictions: Contemporary South African
Photography.

Mlangenis black-and-white work reveals the political and cultural

struggles and successes in his country, including portraiture of gay men,
images of street sweepers and haunting depictions of dances in
Swaziland and KwaZulu-Natal.

Andrew Tshabangu
Tshabangu is recognised for the smoky and hazy feel of his photography.
Born in Soweto and raised in a religious home, the photographer says his
work is influenced by his peoples culture. His black-and-white images of
South African religious practices have gained him critical acclaim.

His more notable pieces include the smoky and blurry shots of Zionists in
transit and Shembe church members walking to Nhlangakazi Holy
Mountain in Natal. He claims that the hazy effect is not intentional, but
merely an effect of his experimentation with different angles.

George Hallett
Hallet has captured some of the countrys most recognisable images.
Born 1942 in Cape Town, Hallet has documented historically notable
events, such as the homecoming of Nelson Mandela from prison and the
compulsory removals of District Six, the neighbourhood where he was
born.

Theroot.com compares Hallet to the world-renowned French poet Charles

Baudelaire, saying he is the street photographer who can capturejoy,
beauty and resilience in his predominantly working class subjects.
Despite

the

countrys extensive

range

of talented and diverse

photographers, these three photographers have captured the worlds

attention with raw and worldly pieces deemed to transcend generations.

RESOURCES:
http://www.clayjar.co.za/portrait-photography.html
http://mg.co.za/article/2014-09-18-15-significant-sa-photographers-to-know
http://observers.france24.com/en/20150921-photography-shot-joburg-southafrica-johannesburg