Born in 1914, Ronald Majongwa Ngilima grew up in the countryside near Cofimvaba (St.Marks, Eastern Cape), as a sheepherder. In 1930, the young 16-year-old moved to Johannesburg, and found work as a messenger-boy at the post office of Modder B mines. He then switched to working for the tobacco company Leonard Dinglers in the industrial area of Boksburg. In 1934, Ronald married Sarah Nomatisana Msekelwa, with whom he was to have nine children. From the Johnson farm plots, the young family moved to Benoni Old Location (‘Etwatwa’) in the mid-1940s. In 1952, they were able to obtain a ‘sub-economic house’ in the newly built township called Wattville. His daughter Doreen Ngilima and her family live in this house up to today.
In his spare time Ronald became as a self-taught photographer, taking portraits to supplement his income. He used his bathroom as a darkroom, washing negatives and making prints, including for other photographers in the area. Over the years, Ngilima accumulated the numerous negatives in small Kodak boxes. When Ronald died tragically on the 13th of March 1960 in a mysteriously ambush, his son and assistant Torrance Ngilima took over the trade for another few years, adding his own negatives to the collection. Torrance continued to photograph for another five years.
(from the Ronald Ngilima Photographic Archive)