How has your background influenced your work?
Because of my experiences and getting to this point in my life, my stories revolve around black working class people. What I’m trying to do every day is take people who are often on the periphery of society and put their stories at the forefront.
What gave you the courage to actually pursue something you love doing?
I got to a point in my life where I thought I could either settle for making a living doing a mundane job, or I could go out on a limb and seek to be happy. And I discovered that photography makes me happy. It’s the kind of thing where, even if I’m not getting paid for it, I enjoy the challenges that come with it. That alone made it worthwhile for me to pursue.
What advice would you give ambitious young women wanting to go to university?
Keep betting on yourself, and do that with the understanding that it’s going to be difficult. It’s hard to stand up and say: actually, I’m valuable enough to dream of even going to university, even though it seems impossible. When you take the decision to bet on yourself, everything else is bearable, because you know that in the end, all the hard work and tears are going to culminate in success.
How do you keep inspired and stay on top of your game?
I think it’s about simple, everyday things… like looking at what other black creative women are getting up to and staying up to date with the happenings in the world. For example, I recently joined
Women Photograph, a platform for female photojournalists that also provides support for women who pursue documentary photography projects. And then in my community, I’m part of a young women’s group called the St. Mary Magdalene Guild – it’s a sisterhood of young black women who meet to share their struggles and help each other through the challenges of everyday life. It’s also about understanding that at no point in my life can I rest on my laurels – I always need to keep pushing and upskilling, because that’s the only way to survive.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger high school self, what would it be?
I would definitely say keep calm and try to enjoy every day. I rushed through most of my high school life, because I was in such a hurry to be an adult and stand by myself, without understanding that, actually, I was rushing through the best years of my life.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?
I dream of having a space for young black people in my neighbourhood where they can come in and nurture their ideas: whether it’s a small business or an artistic project. I’d like to do this in the same way that people have stood up for me and helped me out; the same way that Umuzi has given me a platform to become the person that I am.