by
Team Africa Geographic
Thursday, 20 February 2025
Our Photographer of the Year 2025 is open for submissions. The overall winners, runners up and their partners will enjoy a teamAG safari to explore the primal forests of Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the remote north of Congo-Brazzaville – in search of lowland gorillas, forest elephants, forest buffaloes, bongos and much more. Read more about the Photographer of the Year 2025 prizes here . In association with Ukuri and African Parks .
Photographer of the Year is open for entries from 1 February 2025 to midnight on 30 April 2025. Judging will take place throughout those months and for the month of May 2025, and the winners will be announced in early June 2025.
Here are the best Photographer of the Year submissions for this week
Mildly annoyed. Perched high above, this long-crested eagle should rule the skies. Instead, it is under siege. Swarmed by relentless flying ants – winged termites – the fierce raptor’s usual commanding gaze turns to one of irritation, questioning the audacity of its tiny tormentors. Akagera National Park , Rwanda. © Alexis Martin A large lowland bongo bull encounters the photographer in a forest clearing, undeterred from his journey as he shadows a travelling group of females. Odzala-Kokoua National Park , Congo-Brazzaville. © Dylan Smith Royalty at rest. Basking in the midday haze, an Ishasha tree-climbing lion drapes itself across the branches. Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda . © Faith Moormeier Ethiopia’s ‘smoking mountain’ – Erta Ale – never sleeps. When the photographer first visited in 2017, a molten lake shimmered under the night sky in this same spot. Now, towering cones mark its place. “This time around the lava lake is gone – and is instead filled with these four volcanic cones. In January 2025, we were privileged to see small lava eruptions from one of the cones.” Erte Ale, Ethiopia. © Hesté de Beer Silent travellers in the deep. A bull shark glides through the watery abyss. Suctioned to its frame, remoras hitch a free ride – ghostly passengers in the ocean current. Aliwal Shoal, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa . © Rómeó Bodolai A smile, a tradition. Among Suri women, the lip plate marks a journey – worn with pride from adolescence to motherhood, a symbol of identity and heritage. Omo Valley , Ethiopia. © Emilie Favier A stroll below an icon. A lone giant moves across the Amboseli plains, overlooked by Mt Kilimanjaro. Amboseli National Park, Kenya . © Tomasz Szpila A mountain gorilla seems to share a silent joke with the forest. In Bwindi’s dense forest, a dream becomes reality for the photographer – to witness the gentle intimacy of the largest living primates. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest National Park , Uganda. © Emilie Favier Snatched from its mother’s side, a lifeless warthog piglet hangs in the jaws of a determined leopardess. This hard-earned kill ensures another vital meal for her growing cub, who waits eagerly nearby. South Luangwa National Park , Zambia. © Michael Stavrakakis At dawn, the committee – white-backed vultures, hooded vulture and marabou stork among them – descends on a fallen zebra, and the battle for spoils begins. Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe . © Anjuli Rebelo Braving the muddy Khwai River, a lioness wades through the currents. Driven by her desire to reach a kill on the opposite bank, she is undeterred by the waters. Khwai Community Concession , Botswana. © Jannes Drotsky A quiet morning with playful wild dog pups. One pup in particular stands out, the white canvas of its coat a striking pattern contrasting to its siblings’. South Luangwa National Park, Zambia © Ashley Marti A rare moment in the sky. The usually heavy-footed southern ground-hornbill takes flight, wings aglow with sunlight. Okavango Delta , Botswana. © Tomasz Szpila Stretch! A young leopard cub eases into the morning with playful energy. “We came across two leopard cubs at a large tree stump in the riverbed. They were shy – watching us carefully. After some time, they relaxed and started to play.” Mashatu Game Reserve , Botswana. © Pierre van der Berg Love knot. After the season’s first big storm, two shongololos (African millipedes) cross paths, exchanging more than just a glance. Harare Botanical Gardens, Zimbabwe . © Anjuli Rebelo At sunrise, a tiny Cape fox kit nuzzles its mother, nose to nose. Shortly after, it dashes off, play calling it away. Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa . © John Mullineux Eyes locked on the branches above, a leopardess waits for her sister to finish off the kill in the trees above. South Luangwa National Park, Zambia . © Ashley Marti Morning rush at Hapoor Waterhole. On a warm January morning, elephants gathered in droves, herds merging as they came to drink. Amid the chaos, protective trunks encircled young calves – until the dust settled and the little ones could finally play. Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa . © Charmaine Joubert As the sun sets, a young lion rests, eyes tracking a companion moving past in a blur. A quiet moment before nightfall, when the energy of the pride begins to stir. Samburu National Reserve , Kenya. © Elizabeth Yicheng Shen Between two worlds. A blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus ) glides through the waters of Aliwal Shoal, where light meets the deep. Its sleek form carves through the shifting current, a silent sentinel of the sea. KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa . © Rómeó Bodolai Red-stained and victorious, a lioness savours the spoils of the hunt. It took four lionesses to outmanoeuvre and bring down a 100kg warthog – a satiating feast. South Luangwa National Park , Zambia. © Michael Stavrakakis An old leopard descends from her perch where she was feasting on an impala – belly full but patience thin. In the open, a black-backed jackal’s sharp calls cut through the air. With each step, the leopard growls, but the little scavenger stands firm, undeterred by her displeasure. Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana . © Rian Boshoff To comment on this story: Login (or sign up) to our app here - it's a troll-free safe place 🙂.
