Zimbabwe in the Struggle
The Photography of Zenzo Nkobi
Capturing resistance, resilience, and hope across Southern Africa — a living photographic legacy shared between our family archive and SAHA’s ZAPU Through Nkobi’s Lens project.
ZENZO NKOBI HERITAGE ARCHIVE
Documenting resistance, resilience, and hope across Southern Africa.
The photographs of Zenzo Nkobi capture a continent in transition — from exile to independence, from struggle to nation-building.
Today, this heritage is safeguarded by the Nkobi family in collaboration with the South African History Archive (SAHA) and Wits Historical Papers Research Archive to ensure its preservation and responsible access for future generations.
New Initiative: Preserving and Promoting the Kalanga Cultural Heritage
For more than four decades, the images of Zenzo Nkobi have stood as a visual record of Southern Africa’s liberation movements. His work accompanied the men and women who shaped independence across the region, offering rare insight into the courage and sacrifice behind the headlines.
Following his passing, the Nkobi family partnered with SAHA and Wits University in Johannesburg to preserve and digitise a significant part of his photographic and oral history collections. This collaboration, known as “ZAPU Through Zenzo Nkobi’s Lens,” ensures professional conservation and global research access while maintaining the family’s ownership and copyright.
The Zenzo Nkobi Heritage Archive, supported by the TG Silundika Cultural Community Centre (TGSCCC), continues to curate and share selected materials, exhibitions, and educational projects — keeping his vision alive for new generations.
THE ZENZO NKOBI HERITAGE COLLECTION: ZIMBABWE IN THE STRUGGLE
ZAPU Through Zenzo Nkobi’s Lens (SAHA and Wits University)
Too often is Africa’s image linked to pain, poverty, misery …
but Africa is not only that..
Malick Sidibé
Explore The Zenzo Nkobi Heritage Collection
This is our family-curated archive — select images, stories, and memories held by the ZC Nkobi Family in partnership with TG Silundika Cultural Community Centre
1980 ELECTION DAY
1980 JOSHUA NKOMO
1980 Parade in Matabeleland
