Try GOLD - Free
UCT art student tells story of indentured Indians
Cape Argus
|September 05, 2025
UCT visual artist Zenaéca Singh, who graduates with her Master's in Fine Art next week, is using sugar properties to tell the rich story of indentured Indians who left their homeland to work in the sugar plantations in the British Colony of Natal from 1860 to 1911.
The university explained that more than 150 000 Indians migrated to Natal with promises of a better life, which never happened.
Instead, working conditions were punitive, with pathetic wages, poor housing conditions, extended working hours and numerous injustices on sugar estates.
Now at the brink of her graduation, Singh’s work focuses on the complex history of the sugar economy in South Africa.
It explores migration, colonialism, labour exploitation, and the dynamics of the domestic sphere, through painting and sculpting with sugar.
This story is from the September 05, 2025 edition of Cape Argus.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Cape Argus
Cape Argus
Man City environment 'perfect' for Semenyo
ANTOINE Semenyo believes he is in the perfect place to thrive after scoring in each of his first two games for Manchester City.
1 mins
January 15, 2026
Cape Argus
FRUSTRATION OVER SCHOOL PLACEMENTS
Parents unhappy about WCED decisions
2 mins
January 15, 2026
Cape Argus
Tears, tiny uniforms and dreams as schools open for the year
MORE than a million learners returned to classrooms in the Western Cape as the 2026 school year kicks off, filled with a mix of emotions from excitement to nervousness.
2 mins
January 15, 2026
Cape Argus
US allows Nvidia to send advanced AI chips to China
THE US Commerce Department this week opened the door for Nvidia to sell advanced artificial intelligence chips in China with restrictions, following through on a policy shift announced last month by President Donald Trump.
1 mins
January 15, 2026
Cape Argus
US to take three-quarter stake in Armenia corridor
ARMENIA will give the US a nearly three-quarters stake in a corridor of its land connecting parts of rival Azerbaijan, Washington announced this week, as it said it expected to benefit financially from the arrangement but promised to respect sovereignty.
2 mins
January 15, 2026
Cape Argus
Work shouldn’t break us: standing up to bullying
I WRITE not only as a lawyer, but as a South African who has sat across the table from too many broken souls = people who once walked into workplaces with hope and left with humiliation.
4 mins
January 15, 2026
Cape Argus
'REAL HOUSEWIVES' Celebs support Christall Kay amid bullying allegations
CELEBRITIES have come together to support Christall Kay, a star from The Real Housewives of Johannesburg, following allegations of bullying on The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip: Africa (UGT).
2 mins
January 15, 2026
Cape Argus
De Jong signs to seal Pirates' crown
ANDRE de Jong has wasted little time in outlining his goals at Orlando Pirates, determined to adapt swiftly and make a telling contribution as the club targets a long-awaited league crown.
2 mins
January 15, 2026
Cape Argus
Why Rickelton missed out
SHARP TURN
3 mins
January 15, 2026
Cape Argus
CTIJF presents: Don Vino's sunset saxophone experience at Van Ryn's
THIS month, the Cape Town International Jazz Festival (CTIJF) and Van Ryn's Distillery are turning up the heat on Cape Town's winelands with a special edition of the Van Ryn's Jazzy Sundowner Session, featuring acclaimed saxophonist Don Vino.
1 min
January 15, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size