NDITSHENI MANAGA We Will Rise Again NWU Gallery 11 March - 9 April Curated by Amohelang Mohajane
Opposite Page: Marketplace
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he past year has been an unmatched one, triggering our survival instincts. We have all been affected by Covid-19 differently over the past year. Over the months we have adjusted our lifestyles to survive. The informal sector is about survival, hustling and strategizing to make ends meet. Informal traders are at most not seen, invisible but play a huge role when we need something spontaneously. The people behind these small businesses are strong willed, patient and show great perseverance. What are their stories? What are their dreams? What is the vision? What is their anchor? As I travel the streets of Johannesburg they have become part of my consciousness of needing to understand their stories. I am curious about how Covid19 has affected their livelihood. The different levels of lockdown affected how they could trade, customers were no longer buying at
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the same usual rates. This also made it competitive as traders fought to be noticed, another impact was the stock. In the case of food, did they have to get rid of rotten stock, how did they comprehend this whilst trying to survive? However I see their strength as well. The virus has also taught us appreciation, as the different levels of lockdown open and close. We are able to see the local bicycle ice cream man return to his business and put a smile on the kids’ faces again. Families are able to access affordable food for their households. Informal traders teach us many lessons about this life, they are a metaphor for what we are faced with globally and if we can take one thing from them today, is that we will overcome this challenge, that we stronger than we believe we are, that we play an important role in this life and we will rise again.
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