Magnum Fellowship awarded to South African photographer Sipho Mpongo

The MAGNUM foundation “Photography and Human Rights” programme provides photographers from the Global South with scholarships and intensive training in the ethical use of photography in the advancement of human rights at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts in New York City.

This year sees South African photographer, Sipho Mpongo, joining the prestigious fellowship in New York with 6 other talented photographers. Sipho was born in the Eastern Cape in a rural village called Nqamakwe in 1993 and was raised in Langa, Cape Town. He has been a part of the local photographic mentorship, Illiso Labantu, which provided a platform for Mpongo to launch into a photographic career. Sipho has recently completed a full time course in study at the Cape Town School of Photography whilst contributing to various photographic group shows and projects in Cape Town and internationally.

Most recently, Mpongo completed a four-month tour around South Africa, documenting the “Born Free Generation”, 20 years after the conclusion of apartheid. Here is a selection of Sipho’s photographs from the Twenty Journey and other projects:

New houses under being built in Langa, Cape Town. Photograph by Sipho Mpongo from the "Twenty Journey Project" - www.twentyjourney.com
Langa Township, where I grew up, was one of those townships. The high levels of unemployment and the poverty led to violence and inequality in the community. As a young person I was witnessing it all right in front of me, even my neighbours had guns, knives and illegal weapons. Almost every teenager during early 2000 was part of gangsterism in some way or was in prison for some crime they committed. Friday & Saturday nights murders were the norm. It was not a safe township. Photograph by Sipho Mpongo from the "Twenty Journey Project" - www.twentyjourney.com
Saneliswa Mthebu, 8 year old girl in her uncle’s room. Photograph by Sipho Mpongo from the "Twenty Journey Project" - www.twentyjourney.com
Soccer player, Cape Town. Photograph by Sipho Mpongo from the "Twenty Journey Project" - www.twentyjourney.com
Subliminal, Bloemfontein. Photograph by Sipho Mpongo from the "Twenty Journey Project" - www.twentyjourney.com
Boy with injured leg, Potchefstroom. Photograph by Sipho Mpongo from the "Twenty Journey Project" - www.twentyjourney.com
Kids playing at theme park, Potchefstroom. Photograph by Sipho Mpongo from the "Twenty Journey Project" - www.twentyjourney.com
Imagination tree, Port st. johns. Photograph by Sipho Mpongo from the "Twenty Journey Project" - www.twentyjourney.com
Two adults observing the activities at a theme park, Potchefstroom. Photograph by Sipho Mpongo from the "Twenty Journey Project" - www.twentyjourney.com
Domestic helper taking care of her emloyers child, Thabazimbi. Photograph by Sipho Mpongo from the "Twenty Journey Project" - www.twentyjourney.com
Boy and his parot, Bloemfontein. Photograph by Sipho Mpongo from the "Twenty Journey Project" - www.twentyjourney.com
Rudolph Mulder, 16 year old boy holding neighbor’s child. Photograph by Sipho Mpongo from the "Twenty Journey Project" - www.twentyjourney.com
Home schooled children taking a break from class, Bloemfontein. Photograph by Sipho Mpongo from the "Twenty Journey Project" - www.twentyjourney.com
Father and son wearing similar clothes at market, Potchefstroom. Photograph by Sipho Mpongo from the "Twenty Journey Project" - www.twentyjourney.com
Boy searching for scraps, Kwaloliwe. Photograph by Sipho Mpongo from the "Twenty Journey Project" - www.twentyjourney.com
Throughout the journey we have met young children begging especially in the parking lots of supermarkets. I remember one time in Jeffreys bay, a young boy came and begged for money while I was sitting at the passenger seat. I didn’t really mind him because I was thinking. He kept on begging even though he could see that I was not interesting in his ‘feel sorry for me’ act. I ended up sympathising for him. I gave him two rands to chase him away. He looked at me with disgust and anger. I was waiting for a “Thank you”, but he was angry with me for giving him only two rands. Sean laughed at me because he warned me not to give him money. All that act is like a performance. They have standards and I assume that they feel like we are obligated to give them a certain amount of money because of their ‘feel sorry for me’ performance. This mentality damages the new generation. I think. Photograph by Sipho Mpongo from the "Twenty Journey Project" - www.twentyjourney.com
Zameka Nungu allowed me to speak with her three children: Nowili Nungu (16), Luxolo Nungu (6) and Xolile Nungu (13). Photograph by Sipho Mpongo from the "Twenty Journey Project" - www.twentyjourney.com

You can view more of Sipho’s work on his website: http://www.siphompongo.com or http://www.twentyjourney.com

 Photography