Sibusiso Bheka: Photographing South African Townships at Night
South African photographer Sibusiso Bheka (born 1997 in Katlehong) gained international recognition for his project 'At Night, They Walk with Me,' which captures children playing after dark in Thokoza township, challenging local superstitions about ghosts. His subsequent series 'Stop Nonsense' documents the transformation of township boundaries through yellow-lit fences, a legacy of apartheid-era color-coding. Bheka recently completed an artistic residency in Lisbon, where he explored the 1755 earthquake's impact on architecture and presented the exhibition 'Umphako' (a Zulu word meaning provisions for a journey). He continues to mentor young photographers through the Of Soul and Joy project in rural South Africa, emphasizing photography as therapy for intergenerational trauma. Despite opportunities abroad, Bheka remains committed to returning to his birthplace in Johannesburg.
Key facts
- Sibusiso Bheka was born in 1997 in Katlehong, South Africa.
- He grew up in Thokoza township near Johannesburg.
- His first project 'At Night, They Walk with Me' depicts children playing at night.
- The project was inspired by grandmothers warning about ghosts after dark.
- He sold his first photos to buy his own camera.
- 'Stop Nonsense' explores boundary walls in townships, using yellow lights from apartheid-era streetlamps.
- Bheka completed residencies in Amsterdam and Paris before Lisbon.
- In Lisbon, he studied the 1755 earthquake's effect on urban spaces.
- His exhibition 'Umphako' was presented in Lisbon.
- He works with Of Soul and Joy to mentor young photographers in rural areas.
- Bheka plans to return to South Africa permanently.
Entities
Artists
- Sibusiso Bheka
Institutions
- Of Soul and Joy
- LX Factory
- Artribune
Locations
- Thokoza
- South Africa
- Johannesburg
- Katlehong
- Lisbon
- Portugal
- Amsterdam
- Netherlands
- Paris
- France