Humanities in Session: Facing the Heat in South Africa with Vishwas Satgar

About the book:

Southern Africa is heating at twice the global average. With the failure of the UN multi-lateral process to rapidly phase out fossil fuels, the world has lost the opportunity to prevent a 1.5°C overshoot. South Africa and the region has to brace for 3°C. The country is completely unprepared for this post-normal reality. Through photography, this book documents ten years of unfolding climate shocks, injustice and resistance post a 1°C overshoot at a global level. It gives powerful insights into the complexity of climate extremes and how the meaning of weather has changed.

As a photographic archive it also provides forensic evidence for how an uncaring and criminalised political leadership, addicted to fossil fuels, is force marching the country into climate disaster. South Africa has used coal for more than a hundred years, has a carbon-intensive economy and is addicted to fossil fuel. It does not have a future if it continues down this path. This book echoes the warnings of climate science but also amplifies the case for climate justice solutions to secure a livable, just and democratic future for all.

Dr Vishwas Satgar is a Professor of International Relations, editor of the Democratic Marxism series and principal investigator for Emancipatory Futures Studies at Wits University. He is a veteran activist and co-founder of the South African Food Sovereignty Campaign and Climate Justice Charter Movement. His recent publications include A Love Letter to the Many – Arguments for Transformative Left Politics in South Africa, Digital Capitalism and its Limits – Technotopia, Power and Risk and Worker Cooperatives and Deep Democracy – Transformative Politics and Planetary Care from Below (with Michelle Williams).

Lee Walters is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of the Western Cape’s Centre for Humanities Research, in the NRF/British Academy Chair in Culture and Technics. Lee completed her PhD at UWC’s Department of Women’s and Gender Studies. Her ongoing work attends to how culture and techniques in/of labour, race and gender influence historical, structural and psychosocial dynamics in arts and culture worlds, including the cultural and creative industries, in southern Africa, and elsewhere.

About the Exhibition:

The photographic exhibition, originally on display at the Origins Centre from 4 March to 6 May 2026, is now permanently on display at Wits in the South West Engineering Building in the Wits Faculty of Humanities deanery. This exhibition is a curated ten-year photographic documentation of climate extremes and resistance. It highlights the impacts of climate extremes at a 1°C overshoot at the planetary level, within the South African context. The photographs confirm we are living in a post-normal world and provide forensic evidence about how humans and more-than-human life suffer climate injustice. The crisis of uncaring leadership is reflected in South Africa’s continued carbon addiction. Carbon is ‘locked-in’ the economy and in our everyday lives. Climate justice, as an ethics of care for all planetary life and a transformative political project, offers a way forward to address the legacies of apartheid, rapidly phase out fossil fuels, and ensure a just, livable, and democratic future for all if we act now.
Conceptually, this exhibition helps viewers appreciate the distinction between symbolic and transformative climate-justice resistance. It invites you to play your part in owning the climate crisis and its systemic solutions.

A public program ran alongside the exhibition at the Origins Centre.
At least 3 schools made the time to visit and engage with the exhibition. Their costs were defrayed, and they had free access. A Facing the Heat cultural circle was hosted at the Origins Centre on the 7th March 2026 to interact with the exhibition. Cultural practitioners and artists were invited to share about how their cultural praxis and collaboration could raise greater climate awareness. All were moved by the need for cultural activism to find its voice in the worsening climate crisis. A university student facing the heat circle was held, which interacted with the exhibition at the Origins Centre. Students from other universities were also invited to share their experiences of climate extremes, discuss the challenge of transforming universities into climate-justice leaders and post-normal institutions. A national campaign for post normal universities has now been catalysed and will unfold over coming months.
About 300 copies of Facing the Heat book have been donated to school and community libraries, as well as community resource centres and organisations.

Get the Book:

The book is distributed by Jacana Press in South Africa. It can be purchased from the Jacana webpage and all bookstores (including Origins bookstore on Wits campus)

• Jacana Webpage: Facing the Heat in South Africa – Jacana
• Clark’s books: FACING THE HEAT IN SOUTH AFRICA
• eBook: coming soon

Support for the book and exhibition came from: The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, Emancipatory Futures Studies at WITS.
Other media about the book and exhibition

Polity Press:
Facing the Heat in South Africa: Photography Exhibition and Book Launch

Cultural Creative Dialogue Circle event:
The Climate Justice Charter Movement on Instagram: “Highlights from the Facing the Heat Exhibition Cultural Creatives Dialogue Circle ⭕️ This event served as a point of departure in exploring the role of the arts and photography in these times of planetary crisis. Together, we learned, shared and explored ways to deepen our collaborative efforts. Thank you to Carlo Mombelli, Bobby Rodwell, Molefi Makananise and Alan Koloski Horwitz for your contributions. #climatejustice #facingtheheat #cjcm”

CJCM wits Facing The Heat Launch
The Climate Justice Charter Movement on Instagram: “This past weekend marked the official opening of the ‘Facing the Heat in South Africa’ photography exhibition and book launch. The session opened with an introduction by Prof. Vishwas Satgar, author and exhibition curator, followed by a panel discussion with Prof. Francois Engelbrecht leading climatologist and Jessica Ngwenya, lead campaigner for the CJCM. The day was filled with robust discussion and dialogue on how we tackle the climate crisis in South Africa as well as meaningful contemplation of this photographic documentation of climate extreme impacts. Thank you to all who attended and contributed to this exhibition and book. The exhibition will be open until 6 May 2026 at the Origins Centre for your engagement. @wits__university @rosalux_sa @originscentre_wits #climatejustice #vishwassatgar #emancipatoryfutures”

Wits News
2026-04 – Facing the Heat in South Africa – Wits University

Origins Facebook
Origins Centre Museum

Earth Day action:
The Climate Justice Charter Movement on Instagram: “Earth Day Action at Wits!🌍✊🏾 This Earth day, students gathered at Wits University to engage in dialogue around the climate crisis and call for institutions to become climate justice leaders. The day began with a walkabout of the ‘Facing the Heat in South Africa’ exhibition, followed by extensive dialogue unpacking what the climate crisis, how it affects students and communities as well as brainstorming ways to collaborate across disciplines to own this problem and its solutions. We then marched to the Great Hall to call for “climate justice now!” We had planned to hand over the petition to the VC of Climate Change at Wits but received no response. Join the movement to secure a just, livable and democratic future for all!”

Polity Press:
Facing the Heat in South Africa