This year marks 70 years since the birth of one of South Africa’s highly perceptive and significant photographers, Santu Mofokeng. As part of celebrations of what would have been the Soweto-born photographer’s milestone birthday, a new exhibition of his works is showing at Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton.
The collaboration between Standard Bank Art Lab and the Santu Mofokeng Foundation reactivates three bodies of work from his Rumours/The Bloemhof portfolio.
These iconic works were shot in Bloemhof in the North West, and surrounding farming communities, between 1988 and 1994. This work explores the weight of meaning in the farming communities, capturing the lived experiences and realities of Africans, especially farmworkers, during apartheid.
At the time, Mofokeng was working at the Wits University African Studies Institute and was able to offer insight into the cultural meanings of African people. The moments captured in time tell stories and explain oral histories of those communities. Years later, these stories are still relevant as they were then, prompting questions about how much those spaces have changed since Mofokeng’s visit those decades ago.
The man who started his photography career as a street photographer grew from strength to strength, honing his skills in the darkroom of a newspaper before joining Wits University. According to his foundation, “Mofokeng’s trajectory offered vital lessons about the power of representation.”
The Rumours/2026 Exhibition shows three bodies of work related to Bloemhof. In one of the iterations, Mofokeng captures a joyous gathering on a farm, where the workers let their hair down and, in that moment, fully explored the joys of life – even under the cloud of apartheid.
The choice of Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton as the stage for the exhibition was deliberate. Curator and manager of the Standard Bank Art Lab Dr Same Mdluli told SABC News that the intention was to make the exhibition accessible.
“Nelson Mandela Square is more about making it accessible to a broader audience. People who wander around the mall can discover this exhibition. Very little has been shown of Santu in South Africa,” Mdluli said.
- 2024 marks the 70th birth anniversary of Santu Mofokeng, a renowned South African photographer.
- Mofokeng was born in Soweto and is celebrated for his perceptive and impactful photography.
- A special exhibition showcasing his works is currently on display at Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton.
- The exhibition is part of the commemorations honoring his milestone birthday.
- Further details are available in the e-edition of Sunday World.
At the time,
“Nelson
