I’ve been in Johannesburg for almost three months now, working for the Mail & Guardian media house as a documentary photography fellow. Working for the Mail & Guardian has entailed creating visuals for the coverage of daily news stories in addition to pursuing stories of personal interest in and around Johannesburg. The breadth of my coverage has included stories around political protests, policy conferences, social issues, and portraits of artists, political luminaries, and individuals with fascinating stories to tell. Covering stories for the paper has taken me across the broader Johannesburg region to other areas of South Africa including Cape Town and the Kwa-Zulu Natal region.
This past month I have chosen to produce a story on a boxer from the Democratic Republic of Congo who now lives in South Africa. Nicknamed The Panther, Patrick is the champion boxer of his weight division across the African continent. For three weeks, I spent time with Patrick to better understand him and his training process in the run-up to his title bout in Botswana this past week. While the story of Patrick is certainly one of a champion seeking to defend his title, it is also a story of an individual who crossed international borders in search of a better opportunity driven by his heart and mind. This story will be published within a few weeks and I will gladly share it here. Stay tuned.