Cape Town, beyond its beauty, is also a city that is marred by high levels of violent crime. Some suburbs in Cape Town experience murder rates equivalent to those in war zones. This violence is predominantly a result of the city’s longstanding struggle with gangsterism, a form of violence that in recent years has grown and evolved.

The photos on display in this exhibition were taken in Cape Town between 2017 and 2018 as part of the #GIResilience project, which is part of the efforts of the Gl, the Program on Peace and Security of GIZ (with the finacial support of BMZ) to strengthen the resilient capabilities of communities affected by organized crime. The aim of #GIResilience is to identify and promote successful community-resilience practices that can be replicated and applied at local, national, regional or global levels.

In this photo collection, the #GIResilience project documents, through the medium of photography, the harsh realities of life in gangs in Cape Town as well the hope fostered by resilient communities opposing gang violence. The collection includes images of gang members, weapons, gang tattoos and ‘tagging’ of gang turf (graffiti and ‘signage’ that mark out a gang’s territory). The collection also aims to convey a sense of hope through images of the day-to-day life of an anti-gang activist in Cape Town and a peaceful community march against gang violence.