George Hallett

George Hallett, Autograph

Surrounded by bodyguards, Nelson Mandela attends a rally near Cape Town, during his campaign for the South African Presidency in 1994. Although the elections at the end of April 1994 were marked by many irregularities, they passed off peacefully. As expected, the ANC swept to victory with 62.6% of the vote, winning 252 of the 400 seats in the new parliament. On 10 May 1994 Mandela was sworn in as South Africa's first Black president.

George Hallett (1942–2020) was one of South Africa’s most celebrated photographers, known for capturing resilience, dignity, and joy. Born in Hout Bay, he first gained recognition for his images of District Six, now regarded as iconic records of a community erased under apartheid. Exiled in 1970, Hallett built an international career in London and Europe, including over a decade designing covers for the Heinemann African Writers Series.

Returning to South Africa in the early 1990s, he was commissioned as official photographer of the country’s first democratic elections, producing enduring images of Nelson Mandela, work that earned him a World Press Photo Award in 1995. His retrospective was shown at the Iziko Museums of South Africa in 2014, and in 2016 he was named Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France. Hallett’s work continues to inspire through its celebration of the human spirit.