[Image: Fireflies Studios ZA]
After receiving over 1,430 entries and 1,530 votes from the public, WWF South Africa announces the winners of its ‘Our Country, Through Your Lens’ photo competition.
This nationwide visual movement captured our natural heritage through the eyes of our people. The competition, which ran from 12 May to 27 June 2025, invited South Africans to document the places, people, and wildlife that make our country one of the most biodiverse on Earth.
It forms part of WWF’s broader Believe in Better movement, a call to recognise what’s worth protecting. Submissions documented the full spectrum of natural diversity, from cascading waterfalls and ocean depths to majestic leopards and moments of human connection with nature.
Picture Perfect: Meet the Winners
Captured by Freda Jansen, from Hoedspruit in the Limpopo province, the winning photograph featured two giraffe bulls in a silent dance of dominance, captured on a crisp March morning in the Kruger National Park. This image stood out as a moment of raw strength and grace – a reminder that nature’s balance is fragile, and worth protecting if we truly believe in a better future.
She will receive a luxury two-night photo safari for two at Madwaleni River Lodge in KwaZulu-Natal’s Babanango Game Reserve, complete with meals, accommodation, and guided game drives led by a professional photographer.
Four other photographers earned runner-up recognition, each capturing unique aspects of South Africa’s natural heritage.
Putri Martosudarmo from Johannesburg photographed a majestic lion soaking up golden sunlight, its magnificent mane blowing in the wind.
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Hendrik Louw from Centurion framed a brilliant green praying mantis against nature’s perfect palette, positioned delicately on violet petals beneath a clear azure sky.
Christoff Theunissen from the Western Cape meticulously tracked the celestial dance above Hangklip Peak, layering 175 photographs taken over an hour and a half to reveal the stars’ graceful arcing paths across the night sky.
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Kristin Rockhill from Cape Town created a powerful portrait of resilience, showing a burn survivor and mother holding her daughter close amid green growth emerging from fire-blackened protea fields – a testament to both nature’s and the human spirit’s ability to heal and flourish.
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These diverse perspectives demonstrated the range of talent and viewpoints that emerged from the competition. Each planet protector has won a Sealand Gear Recycled Buddy Backpack, valued at R2,695.
Drawing on his dual expertise as both photographer and conservationist, competition judge Angus Burns, WWF’s Lead for Area-Based Conservation, explains what made these entries stand out:
“What’s important to me is the emotion I get from looking at a photo. When I reviewed the entries for this competition, beyond all the technical considerations, I was specifically looking for whether that photograph convinced me to believe in better and see a planet where people and nature thrive together.”
See the Winners Up Close
This September, during Heritage Month, Cape Town’s Sea Point Promenade will be transformed into an outdoor gallery, showcasing the winning and runner-up photographs for the public to experience.
The photographs will also travel to Johannesburg for an exhibition later in the year, with venue and dates to be confirmed.
“These photographs remind us that conservation isn’t an abstract concept; it’s deeply personal. Every entry received in this competition represents someone who stopped, looked around, and decided that what they saw was worth preserving for future generations.”
“When people connect with nature through their own lens, they become its most effective advocates. These aren’t just beautiful pictures; they’re declarations of love for the only planet we have, and reminders to ensure it thrives long after we’re gone,” concludes WWF CEO Dr Morné du Plessis.
Keep your eyes open for more!
