In 2022, at 22, Lungile Ngcobo, was at the beginning of her photography career, having recently graduated with a degree in Photography and with limited experience. Living in Soweto, Gauteng, she was eager to advance her skills and seize new opportunities before joining YES.
Lungile joined YES with sponsorship from Pizza Hut, hosted by Tilt Culture. Her role was a Youth Content Collective (YCC) content creator. During the YES programme, Lungile’s career experienced significant growth. She had the opportunity to work with production companies like Lampost Productions and assist renowned commercial photographers such as Tatenda Chidora, who became her mentor through an incubator program at The Market Photo Workshop.
Her work gained prominence through collaborations with prestigious galleries like Stevenson Gallery and Latitude Online, where her pieces were featured in the Latitude Art Fair and Women Exhibition. Lungile also joined the art collective Occupying The Gallery, mentored by Mary Sibande and Lawrence Lemaoana, leading to exhibitions at Smac Gallery Johannesburg and a residency at Nirox Sculpture Park.
A notable achievement has been winning first prize at the Sanlam Art Exhibition, which is in partnership with YES. This was for her photograph titled “”Grandmother.”
Now 24, Lungile is a freelance photographer, fine artist, and content creator for David Krut Projects, and is currently based in North Riding, Gauteng. She continues to develop her craft and maintain her entrepreneurial journey by collaborating with other artists and building connections within the YES Alumni community, which has made accessing resources and opportunities more manageable.
Despite the challenges, Lungile finds her journey highly rewarding. She has gained valuable exposure to various programmes and industry insights. Exhibiting with Smac Gallery, Latitude Online, and the French Institute of South Africa, and her residency at Nirox Sculpture Park, have been career highlights. The mentorship from Tatenda Chidora, Mary Sibande, and Lawrence Lemaoana has been particularly influential.
Looking forward, Lungile aims to establish herself as a full-time artist and freelance commercial photographer, continuing to grow and make an impact in the creative industry.
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Author: Nhlalenhle Dlangalala from ByDesign Communications on behalf of Youth Employment Service.
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