Avatar Agency Group and Unequal Scenes have partnered with Corruption Watch to shine light on how corruption fuels inequality in South Africa.

Avatar Agency Group has launched the #EndInequality Campaign with Corruption Watch, highlighting how corruption maintains the status quo and the poor and vulnerable continue to suffer the most. This campaign encourages people not to look the other way when confronted with corruption.

The campaign uses aerial photographic shots that clearly depict the divide that still exists today between the rich and poor in South Africa.

It shows how in 2020, the evidence of inequality is glaring at us every single day.

Johnny Miller, founder of Unequal Scenes, said: “I’m proud to align my project mission with that of Corruption Watch. Unequal Scenes was designed not just as a photographic project, but a home for creatives, activists, scientists and journalists to connect and strategize creative approaches to make the world a more healthy, fair, and equitable place.

“Through my photography, I see the unvarnished truth of inequality around the world from above, and Corruption Watch seeks to shine the same light on corruption through their reporting platforms, where people share their experiences of corruption. The two projects are well aligned and I’m glad that my images can help further the message of anti-corruption and transparency in South Africa.”

The divide between the haves and have nots is evident in South Africans’ polar-different lifestyles.

This campaign, with its graphic representation of inequality, can help to nudge the public to report corruption to put a stop to the rich getting richer whilst the poor are getting poorer, because of corrupt individuals who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the most disadvantaged in our communities.

“The opportunity to work with Corruption Watch on this campaign, using Johnny Miller’s striking images, could not have come at a better time, when the message is as relevant as ever,” said Veli Ngubane, Chief Creative Officer of Avatar.

“The stark inequalities in our country have been brutally exposed by the global pandemic, and this visual representation of our reality will, we hope, inspire people to get involved and do their part in ending corruption, and work towards a more equal society.”

“In a world where we have seen the corrupt accuse others of corruption, it was important to encourage people to report corruption to a credible organisation such as Corruption Watch or any relevant monitoring and legal institution,” he concluded.

“When Avatar approached us with the idea for this campaign, we were struck by the power of Johnny Miller’s photographs, and felt that a strong visual and creative message would inspire people who care about our future to get involved in exposing corruption,” said Moira Campbell, Head of Communications at Corruption Watch.

“We have seen through our work in communities across South Africa, how corruption fuels the unacceptable levels of inequality in our country,” she continued.

“It robs people of their right to the most basic and essential services, with devastating consequences, as evidenced by the daily reports of Covid-19 related corruption dominating the news.”