audio, stills, text and or video: Go to zReportage.com to see more - 'I love horses. Riding a horse makes me happy.. it makes me feel free.. sometimes it feels like flying' proclaims 11 year old Muhtle, who has been riding horses since the age of three. In the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, horse culture plays a significant part of society, which can be seen through the communities in regard to the animal's high economic and social value. To the people of the Eastern Cape horses are sometimes the only mode of transport to conquer the mountainous environment, and they are vital to the functionality of the community. Daily life in the remote rural villages has not changed much in the last thirty years. Politicians have made many promises, but large parts of the rural areas are still underdeveloped and remote. Public schools are heavily under resourced and student drop out rates are soaring. The majority of people live without reliable electricity, running water, or sanitation. There exist no cinemas, theaters, social clubs, youth organizations, arts clubs, and other kinds of entertainment or luxury. Small taverns are one of the few alternatives, and alcohol consumption is excessive and accepted as a part of the culture. At over 35 percent, the Eastern Cape Province has by far the highest provincial unemployment rate in South Africa.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

January 11, 2018 - Matatiele, Eastern Cape, South Africa - KAHLO, 16, races his grandfather's horse through the village.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

December 8, 2017 - Matatiele, Eastern Cape, South Africa - MALIGN, 87, attends an initiation ceremony. He worked his entire life underground, digging for gold in the mines of Johannesburg. Today, he needs care and help from the community to manage the daily routines.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

'I love horses. Riding a horse makes me happy. It makes me feel free. Sometimes it feels like flying.' This is his father's horse; it is the strongest and biggest horse in the village.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

June 11, 2016 - Matatiele, Eastern Cape, South Africa - A sunset in a small rural village of Matatiele, Eastern Cape province, near the Lesotho mountains.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

February 26, 2017 - Matatiele, Eastern Cape, South Africa - SMALLS, 14, uses the whip to make his horse jump. He is officially the fastest in his village. His horse, which he inherited from his father, is number one.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

December 24, 2017 - Matatiele, Eastern Cape, South Africa - SCWEBU, 46, rushes home on his horse after a long day on the farm.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

December 29, 2017 - Matatiele, Eastern Cape, South Africa - Xhosa people wait for the initiates to return from the mountains. Women and horse riders hit each other with sticks and textiles.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

February 26, 2017 - Matatiele, Eastern Cape, South Africa - SMALLS (14) and JAKE (14), return from a horse race, which they won. They are officially the fastest guys in their village.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

November 29, 2016 - Matatiele, Eastern Cape, South Africa - THABO, 13, rides one of his father's seven horses through the mountainous landscape of Matatiele, at the Eastern Cape province.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

March 3, 2017 - Matatiele, Eastern Cape, South Africa - Three friends ride their horses in a small and remote village named Zikhalini. There are approximately 80 horses in this village, which is inhabited by Sotho and Xhosa people.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

December 28, 2017 - Matatiele, Eastern Cape, South Africa - During December and January, the Xhosa and Sotho people celebrate the initiation of their boys. On this occasion they slaughter sheep. The meat will cater for over 50 hungry initiates, their families and friends.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

January 12, 2018 - Matatiele, Eastern Cape, South Africa - LUIS, 14, sits on the bed in one of his family's mud houses, which he shares with his older brother and father. The blue round shaped house serves as a sleeping room, community area and as a kitchen.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

January 11, 2018 - Matatiele, Eastern Cape, South Africa - Early in the morning, school children brush their teeth outside their home and prepare for school.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

November 29, 2016 - Matatiele, Eastern Cape, South Africa - Boys sit on their horses and go for a ride.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire

January 6, 2018 - Matatiele, Eastern Cape, South Africa - JUNIOR, 16, is dressed in his Sunday outfit and enjoys one of his grandfather's five horses.
© Stefan Kleinowitz/zReportage.com/ZUMA Wire