Photographer of the Year 2025 Weekly Selection: Week 7 - Africa Geographic

Speak with a safari expert

Client reviews

safari experts, since 1991

Book a call with a safari expert

×

SEARCH OUR STORIES

SEARCH OUR SAFARIS

Photographer of the Year 2025

Tuesday, 1 April 2025

Share Tweet Pin Email Share Share LinkedIn

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 of Photographer of the Year will be announced in early June 2025.

Here are the best Photographer of the Year submissions for this week

Photographer of the Year 2025 — Two wood sandpipers at a water hide in the early morning. Kasane Forest Reserve, Botswana. © Benine du Toit

Photographer of the Year 2025 — A mother’s gentle but firm touch, her trunk a tether of love and quiet authority. The calf, full of curiosity, pushes forward, testing the invisible boundary between freedom and guidance. Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. © Harriet du Toit

Photographer of the Year 2025 — Two black-maned lions face off in a ferocious battle. “The confrontation was nothing short of brutal, as claws tore through fur and powerful jaws snapped with deadly force. Both lions demonstrated unmatched determination, but eventually, one was forced to concede. The defeated male retreated with a bruised ego and a collection of deep, fresh scars.” Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa. © Hannes Lochner

Photographer of the Year 2025 — A wildebeest meets its fate in the jaws of an ancient predator, one of four claimed in the chaos of the day’s crossing: a lifeblood offering to the crocodiles who have waited in patient ambush. Mara River, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Adam Barnard

Africa Geographic African Safari — A cheetah locks onto its target: a few lone wildebeest wandering across the plains. Mara North Conservancy, Kenya. © Michael Stavrakakis

Africa Geographic Travel

Photographer of the Year 2025 — A lone Coke’s hartebeest stands sentry, silhouetted against a molten sky. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Thorsten Hanewald

Photographer of the Year 2025 — The prince of play. Tired from an afternoon of wrestling with siblings, this young lion cub finds peace in the arms of a tree. Thornybush Private Game Reserve, South Africa. © Daniele Baronio

Photographer of the Year 2025 — Nestled in the warmth of its mother’s arms, a young vervet monkey forgets the world beyond mom’s heartbeat. Kruger National Park, South Africa. © Benjamin Loon

Photographer of the Year 2025 — As a hyena makes off with its topi prize, the chaotic scene of the hunt warps into a mirage of a beast with two gazes. Maasai Mara National National Reserve, Kenya. © Jonathan Wosinski

Photographer of the Year 2025 — The Abbaa Gadaa power transition, a ritual of democracy older than many nations, unfolds with accompanying celebrations. Here, the Borana Oromo reaffirm their lineage, their governance, and their unbroken connection to a system that has stood the test of time. This operates on an eight-year cyclical leadership transition, where power is peacefully transferred from one ruling class to the next. The leader is elected through a democratic process and assumes responsibility for guiding the community, resolving conflicts, and upholding customary laws. Oromia, Ethiopia. © Ashenafi Yemane

Africa Geographic Travel

Photographer of the Year 2025 — A touch of kinship. Two elephants reaffirm their bond in a moment of quiet camaraderie, their trunks weaving an unspoken language. Tsavo East National Park, Kenya. © Ansley Kynes

Africa Geographic African Safari — Mother in a protective pose with her curious calf tucked safely away behind her. South Africa. © Mac Stevenson

Africa Geographic African Safari — In the first light of the day, two young brothers clash in the middle of a wet-season Kalahari pan. Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana. © Muriel Moreau

Photographer of the Year 2025 — In the spiny forests of Madagascar, even the plants wear armour. But here, the Verreaux’s sifaka moves with grace, leaping effortlessly between daggered branches, defying gravity and logic. Ifotaka Community Forest, Madagascar. © Tomasz Szpila

Africa Geographic African Safari — A vulturine guineafowl stands poised, its feathers beautifully fanned and detailed in soft light. Samburu National Reserve, Kenya. © Sandra Risi

Africa Geographic Travel

Photographer of the Year 2025 — A hyena cub stands in a haze of golden dust – a spotlight providing a backlight. Photographed in the midst of the drought. Khwai Community Concession, Botswana. © Helgardt Pretorius

Photographer of the Year 2025 — “For a while, she vanished into the ditches, only to resurface closer, her beauty more striking in the soft light. Her every detail held me spellbound.” Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Kenya. © Elizabeth Yicheng Shen

Photographer of the Year 2025 — “A lioness growls in defiance at the dominant pride male, signalling she is not yet ready to mate. Despite her protests, he remains persistently at her side, shadowing her every move with unwavering determination.” Central Kalahari Game Reserve, Botswana. © Hannes Lochner

Africa Geographic African Safari — Green-season plumage. A young bull elephant indulges in nature’s renewal, the rubbing of fresh new growth on his skin leaving bright green stains behind. Mashatu Game Reserve, Botswana. © Rebecca du Toit

Africa Geographic African Safari — Wildebeests against the setting sun. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. © Mark Nissenbaum

Africa Geographic African Safari — A young leopard relaxes, draped across the remains of a dead tree. MalaMala Game Reserve, South Africa. © Raymond Stone

Africa Geographic African Safari — A lion cub enjoys the warmth of sunrise on its belly while the pride sleeps. Okavango Delta, Botswana. © Morgan Garrett

Africa Geographic African Safari — A dramatic close-up of a rhino, its impressive horn highlighted amidst shadows. Kenya. © Sandra Risi

Photographer of the Year 2025 — A dance of water and light. An African spoonbill sends droplets scattering like tiny jewels as it enjoys a refreshing bath. Madikwe Game Reserve, South Africa. © Tania Cholwich

To comment on this story: Login (or sign up) to our app here - it's a troll-free safe place .

OUR MOST POPULAR SAFARIS

South Luangwa, Victoria Falls & Lake Malawi safari

South Luangwa, Victoria Falls & Lake Malawi safari More details

Big 5 + chimps + gorillas in Rwanda

Big 5 + chimps + gorillas in Rwanda More details

Maasai Mara secret season

Maasai Mara secret season More details

Cape Town, Winelands, Sabi Sand & Victoria Falls - a luxury journey

Cape Town, Winelands, Sabi Sand & Victoria Falls - a luxury journey More details

Why choose us to craft your safari?

Handcrafted experiential safaris since 1991.

Travel in Africa is about knowing when and where to go, and with whom. A few weeks too early/late or a few kilometres off course, and you could miss the greatest show on Earth. And wouldn’t that be a pity?

Trust & Safety

Guest payments go into a third-party TRUST ACCOUNT - protecting them in the unlikely event of a financial setback on our part. Also, we are members of SATSA who attest to our integrity, legal compliance and financial stability.

See what travellers say about us

Make a difference

We donate a portion of the revenue from every safari sold to carefully selected conservation projects that make a significant difference at ground level.

YOUR safari choice does make a difference - thank you!

[wpforms id="152903"]

<div class="wpforms-container wpforms-container-full" id="wpforms-152903"><form id="wpforms-form-152903" class="wpforms-validate wpforms-form wpforms-ajax-form" data-formid="152903" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data" action="/stories/photographer-of-the-year-2025-weekly-selection-week-7" data-token="0ecc20c27355e0d14f43bd5a14cf3a36"><noscript class="wpforms-error-noscript">Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.</noscript><div class="wpforms-field-container"><div id="wpforms-152903-field_1-container" class="wpforms-field wpforms-field-email" data-field-id="1"><label class="wpforms-field-label wpforms-label-hide" for="wpforms-152903-field_1">Email Address <span class="wpforms-required-label">*</span></label><input type="email" id="wpforms-152903-field_1" class="wpforms-field-medium wpforms-field-required" name="wpforms[fields][1]" placeholder="Email " required></div></div><div class="wpforms-submit-container"><input type="hidden" name="wpforms[id]" value="152903"><input type="hidden" name="wpforms[author]" value="284"><input type="hidden" name="wpforms[post_id]" value="166726"><button type="submit" name="wpforms[submit]" id="wpforms-submit-152903" class="wpforms-submit" data-alt-text="Sending..." data-submit-text="Subscribe" aria-live="assertive" value="wpforms-submit">Subscribe</button><img src="https://africageographic.com/wp-content/plugins/wpforms/assets/images/submit-spin.svg" class="wpforms-submit-spinner" style="display: none;" width="26" height="26" alt="Loading"></div></form></div>