A young Kimberley artist in the Northern Cape is taking a different approach to getting motorists at intersections to give him money, he’s walking on stilts while dressed in a circus costume. Thato Hlabong also dances.
He says he uses his earnings at the intersections to pay for his training on stilts walking. He says he was forced to drop out of school after his mom died when their home burned down.
Hlabong says his grandmother’s social grant was their only source of income.
“The money that I make here is enough to pay for my accommodation; I can also buy food and clothes and am also able to buy the material that I need for what I do, like now I need face painting. I also support my family back home because my grandmother is the only one who gets a social grant so I use what I make to also assist her.”
Some Kimberley locals who have seen Hlabong in action say they find it interesting.
“Am actually very proud of Thato because he does what he does with a purpose because he supports his family back home and is not just sitting around. The first time I saw him, I was actually fascinated because it’s not common. I find it interesting actually.”
18-year-old artist creatively responds to adversity on the streets of Kimberley:
