Children of the Light, Thokoza photographers’ exhibition at JSE is a window through which you can see township life

The narratives in this exhibition are compelling and go deep into telling the stories of a people who live in post-Apartheid South Africa in which the past lives side by side with the present, and in which the future is discerned through misty eyes.

By Edward Tsumele, CITYLIFE/ARTS Editor

His series titled Stop Nonsense which refers to the practice of putting a wall around one’s homestead around South African townships has taken him far, including landing him an exhibition in France. One of the photographs, which is part of this series forms part of a body of work by Thokoza photographers who produced this work as part of the successful East Rand photography project Of Soul and Joy, which is currently on exhibit at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Foyer in Sandton.

Sibusiso Sobekwa however says that the practice of putting a wall around one’s house in the township, is not mainly concerned with security issues, but has other meanings. It is meant not only to keep people out, such as nosy neighbours, but also to keep things certain information from getting out of the homestead. He explained Bheka explained this idea behind the series during a walk about of the exhibition at the JSE on Saturday, June 28, 2025.

The walk about was hosted by the KJSE’s art advisor Talita Swarts and the exhibition’s curator, Refilwe Nkomo took the audience through the exhibition.

Tsepiso Mazibuko’s image creating practice is predicted in the self –choosing to interrogate her life as a female photographer working in a township set up, exploring the challenges that she often faces in her practice.

Dlhamini, who like several people from the township- often come from a fractured society, such as being raised by single mothers, approaches his photography from the perspective of healing from childhood and intergenerational traumas. He pursues photography to find his own healing, he said.

The exhibition is in fact a window through which one can have a deeper view and understanding of life in the townships – the struggle to live in safety and dignity as well as the resilient hope by a society coming from a troubled past in which the legacies of apartheid are still very much visible.

The narratives in this exhibition are compelling and go deep into telling the stories of a people who live in post-Apartheid South Africa in which the past lives side by side with the present, and in which the future is discerned through misty eyes.

 The exhibition is being hosted as part of JSE’s celebration of Youth Month. June is memorialized in South Africa to mark the 1976 Youth Uprisings, when South African learners took to the streets to protest against the introduction of Afrikaans as a language of instructions in black schools. However not only did that attempt by the Apartheid government fail, but it result in the youth becoming a formidable movement against oppression in the country and thrust the struggle in the domain of youth activism, creating an impactful moment for the fight against Apartheid led by the youth.

Through this collaboration with the Thokoza-based photography development initiative, Of Soul and Joy (OSJ), to showcase Children of the Light, an exhibition running from 7 June to 31 July at the JSE, the event speaks to the youth illuminating a path towards imagining and creating a more inclusive future.

Through JSE Art Share, OSJ’s young artists are being provided a platform to gain exposure, bolster their careers, and ultimately contribute to the growth of the creative sector and South African economic development.

Nkomo as curator, Jabulani Dhlamini (OSJ Project Manager) and Bheka as one of the mentors at Soul and Joy led the walkabout, and in the case of Dhlamni and Bheka, they spoke about their journey of becoming photographers, coming from a background and society in which the idea of becoming a photographer was not well understood, if not encourage. It was not seen as a career for the youth.

Curated by interdisciplinary artist and cultural worker Refilwe Nkomo, Children of the Light is a celebration of legacy, purpose, and potential—an artistic exploration of how we illuminate the path for those who follow. Featuring work by student and alumni photographers from the Of Soul & Joy photography mentorship programme in Thokoza, the exhibition showcases the bold, intimate, and deeply human perspectives of young South Africans.

Participating artists include Jabulani Dlamini, Thembinkosi Hlatshwayo, Tshepiso Mazibuko, Sibusiso Bheka, Vuyo Mabheka, Lunathi Mngxuma, Sibusiso Sithonga, Fuwe Molefe, and Zwelibanzi Zwane.

Through their lenses, viewers are invited into the interior worlds, energy, and lived experiences of a generation navigating identity, place, and aspiration.

“This exhibition is centred around connection,” says curator RNkomo. “It’s where art and industry come together, bringing together different generations and communities. Children of the Light is a call to imagine and create a more inclusive future, led by the youth who carry both the burden and the brilliance of this moment.”

“The exhibition mirrors values at the core of the JSE: being a good neighbour, enabling economic development and using business as a force for inclusive growth. By harnessing the JSE’s broad stakeholder base and its influential audience, the bourse aims to provide a platform for young creatives to gain exposure, further bolstering their careers, communities and fraternity. Through this collaboration, Children of the Light is intended to serve as a platform for change that speaks to the integration of art, business, and civil society.

“At the JSE, we are proud to support Of Soul & Joy. For us, JSE Art Share is an initiative not only honours the extraordinary talent of young South African artists but also contributes meaningfully to the growth of our creative sector and the broader economic development of our nation,” said Vuyo Lee, Director of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at the JSE.

“The youth are the custodians of the future,” says Dhlamini, Of Soul and Joy Programme Manager. “Through photography, they learn not only to see differently, but to lead differently. This exhibition affirms their voice, vision, and value.”

.Children of the Light can be viewed at the JSE 2 Gwen Lane, Sandton, till July 31, 2025. Admission is free, but RSVP is essential. To RSVP or for more information, contact  AriaA@jse.co.za or click the following link:  https://web-eur.cvent.com/event/34fb4b48-99ce-4e0d-9d34-4c1386b3149a/register