Through a series of photographic stories, photographer Thom Pierce actively profiles on-the-ground problem solvers, community activists, climate campaigners, and human rights defenders who engage in direct action. Discover South Africa’s Actionists below.
Phetole Raseropo has been advising farmers on expert agricultural matters for years. Now his business assists local farmers and the community alike.
Youth Actionist Tshweu Mosedi’s tireless dedication to improving the lives of young people in Katlehong township is an inspiring example of how one person can make a real difference.
Actionist Willem Snyman is an artist who has been working hard to clean up the Kaalspruit River and its tributaries for the last five years.
Although she has a full-time job as an IT support analyst at Baker McKenzie, a large law firm in Sandton, Keke Malakele spends the majority of her time outside work running her not-for-profit company United Siyafunda (United We Learn), teaching children robotics and coding.
Colin Northmore, the former principal of Sacred Heart College, has made a lasting difference among refugees living in Johannesburg by providing them with a safe space to learn and teach.
With this simple message, mental health Actionist Simon Mphela and his team are trying to save lives. They want you to know that they are available to listen and point you in the right direction if you need help.
Teenage mental health actionist Jess Robus has published two books, and aims to reach and ease the battles of as many young people as possible.
This sustainability Actionist’s sneaker drive has evolved into poetry sessions, youth expos and a clothing swap shop and customisation company.
Janet Simpkins’s personal mission to protect her family and the watersports she loved quickly morphed into a campaign that included a broader concern for the environment and communities that relied on the water for their livelihoods.
From a small office in Wentworth, Desmond D’Sa has been fighting for environmental justice for 25 years, using a combination of community engagement, regular patrols, whistle-blowers and monitoring techniques to hold the powerful accountable and ensure everyone has access to clean air, water and land.
Social Actionist Kekeletso Khena is not only uplifting and equipping community members with key skills, she is also spearheading a campaign compelling medical professionals to report incidents of statutory rape.
Community Actionist Bridget Munnik Bridget performs regular radio and stage productions about gender-based violence, substance abuse, teenage pregnancy and bullying in addition to her role as a community counsellor.
Farming has always been for people who don’t look like Hlobisile, but she has decided to change the stereotype and bring a whole new cohort of young black women with her on the journey.
Natania wants her mannequin art to stand as a conversation starter, to encourage the public to take climate change more seriously.
Committed freedom Actionist Wayne Jean-Pierre has dedicated the last decade to the complicated task of helping others clear their criminal records.
Sandile Soxokashe is not ashamed of taking part in the 2013 riots in Bekkersdal. It shaped him into who he is today — a man who cares deeply about his community.
Their ultimate goal is to bring out the light in the people they serve, to provide a way for people to find their purpose.
Former pastor Gideon Swart has created a culture of paying it forward among his customers at the small coffee shop he owns.
Drama For Life started in the early 2000s as a response to the fatigue that had set in around the dissemination of HIV information. It exists as a post-graduate programme that provides a space to increase the efficacy of performance-based messaging.
Sharne Jacobs is worried that the world will always stereotype skateboarders as a nuisance. It felt for a long time that the sport that changed her life would never be taken seriously in South Africa. That was until it was accepted into the Olympic Games and the public perception slowly started to shift.
Actionism isn’t always about giant projects or making a big noise. Sometimes, simply the way you position yourself in the world qualifies as a profound form of Actionism, leading by example and creating work practices that encourage positive change within the community around you.
For many years, I wanted to create a continuing photographic project that tells short, accessible stories about the people across South Africa who are working to make a difference in their communities. I truly believed it was needed – and five years later it has been launched.
By Thom Pierce
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