The number 40 is historically symbolic of important time periods, especially in Christianity.
According to the gospel of Matthew in the Bible, Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.
Similarly, the ascension of Jesus from resurrection took 40 days. Lent starts 40 days before Easter.
Sowetan, in partnership with global streaming service Netflix, are about to give the number 40 a historic new meaning that will in years to come define pop and youth culture in Mzansi.
Just like prolific names such as Terry Pheto, Winnie Mashaba and Khabonina Qubeka, Sowetan turned 40 this year.
As part of Youth Month the newspaper, with the help of our friends at Netflix, will be staging a mammoth four-week celebration of the local entertainment scene kicking off this Friday in Time Out.
We will be taking you on a trip down memory lane with the 40 hottest pop culture icons that have captured the zeitgeist over the past four decades.
But we took it a step further by selecting some of their most iconic photographs from our library and guess what? We have recreated those images using the young stars of Netflix shows Blood & Water, Jiva! and How To Ruin Christmas: The Wedding.
It was not an easy task, so we enlisted the expertise of industry titans Lesley Mofokeng (veteran journalist) and Sifiso Khanyile (filmmaker), who dug up our rich archives in March and uncovered some gems.
Arena Holdings’s longtime librarian Phillip Kgaphola held the two historians’ hands as they dusted off archival material.
“I couldn’t contain the excitement, all that black excellence in one place, seeing it develop over the years and seeing it come to its full expression was timeless,” said Khanyile.
“What the archive showed me was that Sowetan has been committed over its four decades to represent black lives in the most authentic version.”
Mofokeng added: “Sowetan carries so much more than just a recognisable news brand. It's a symbol of hope and a vault in which our stories have been archived. It continues to tell and celebrate our stories and turning 40 is a big deal.”
Four revered photographers were then tasked with recreating those iconic moments last month – Siphiwe Mhlambi (1980s), Neo Ntsoma (1990s), Austin Malema (2000s) and Themba Mbuyisa (2010s).
They partnered with creative directors Asanda Sizani and Papama Mtshiwa, who injected modernity and a cool edge into the new artwork.
The creative industry has taken a huge knock during the pandemic and at the heart of this project is the spirit of job creation and curating content that is reflective of the rousing power of melanin magic.
We have united many industry players – old and young – in bringing the magic to life. We are referring to the Midas touch of Veli Nhlapo, Karabo Ledwaba, Londiwe Dlomo, Faith Seoue, Saadique Ryklief, Sihle Masango, Orapeleng Modutle, Chloe Andrea, Sello Medupe, Lethabo Motlatle, Skyler Williams, Caroline Greef, Annice Gerber, Mpumelelo Macu, Bomzi Legkoro, Siyabonga “Siyababa” Mtshali, Sitha Kentane, Legend Manqele, Alex Botha, Sam Mathe and Vus’umuzi Phakathi.
“I have worked in this industry for 38 years and have seen most of those that were celebrated at the beginning of their careers… to be a part of this project has taken me down memory lane of where I began,” said Seoue, who at 21 did Brenda Fassie’s make-up at Carlton Hair Salon.
Let’s all go down memory lane with Sowetan40 x Netflix when it launches on Friday in the Time Out section and on our various online platforms.
Let us know “waar was jy? (where were you?)” when these nostalgic moments were created.
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