Born Free: Mandela
Ilvy Njiokiktjien
Born Free: Mandela’s Generation of Hope reflects on the changes that have taken place in South Africa through the perspectives of those born around 1994, who are now young adults. This generation has grown up experiencing the promises of democracy as set out in the country’s post-apartheid constitution.
More than three decades later, however, many young South Africans continue to face persistent social and economic challenges, revealing the enduring legacy of apartheid. Photojournalist and storyteller Ilvy Njiokiktjien (b. 1984) has worked on her long-term project Born Free for eighteen years. She studied, worked, and lived in South Africa, and first became interested in the “born free” while working at The Star newspaper in Johannesburg in 2007. During this time, she observed how young people were seeking to shape their futures within a young democracy.
























