Celebrating 30 Years of Democracy: South African photographers exhibit in Paris
To mark 30 years of democracy in South Africa, two South African-born photographers, have been selected to exhibit at Europe’s prestigious PhotoSaintGermain Festival.
Sibusiso Bheka and Tshepiso Mazibuko, who recently won two awards earlier this year at the Rencontres d'Arles photography festival, have put together a selection of photographs that explore South Africa’s post-apartheid realities.
“Ubusukunemini” (Day and Night), which is curated by Valérie Fougeirol, runs from October 30 to November 24, in Paris.
The exhibition brings their individual perspectives into conversation around contemporary South African life, focusing on the township of Thokoza in Ekurhuleni.
The exhibition offers an intimate portrait of Thokoza, where both photographers were born and raised in.
It explores themes of identity, history, and democracy as interpreted through the daily realities of life in Thokoza, while questioning the unfulfilled promises of the “born free” generation.
Fougeirol, the curator, said: “This exhibition is a dialogue about the present and the past, captured through the lens of Thokoza's landscape, its community, and its memory.
“The photographers transport viewers between day and night, burning colour and timeless black and white. Together, their work reflects a stillness and a persistent yearning for change in the South African township.”
During the exhibition period, Mazibuko and Bheka will also hold three public conversations with Fougeirol at Galerie David Ghezelbash (art gallery) in Paris.
Soul and Joy project manager Jabulani Dhlamini, under whom the two studied said, “Tshepiso and Sibusiso represent powerful new voices in South African photography. Through their work, they document the complexities of a generation navigating the promises of freedom while still confronting the legacies of the past.
“This exhibition in Paris is a significant moment, not just for their careers but for the broader narrative of South Africa's ongoing journey toward true equality.”