Our continent through the lens

Durban — Regional winners of this year’s World Press Photo award were announced on Thursday.

Their work showcases a selection of the world’s best photojournalism and documentary photography. It invites viewers to step outside the news cycle and look more deeply at both prominent and overlooked stories from across the world.

Executive Director World Press Photo, Joumana El Zein Khoury said each year, jurors from all over the globe review tens of thousands of photos to find a selection that is visually stunning, tells stories that matter and represents our shared world.

Dada Paul Rakotazandriny, 91, who is living with dementia, and his granddaughter, Odliatemix Rafaraniriana, 5, get ready for church on Sunday morning at his home in Antananarivo, Madagascar. | Lee-Ann Olwage

“This year’s selection includes stories of desperation, hunger, war and loss but also of perseverance, courage, love, family, dreams ... and more butterflies than anyone has the right to expect.”

There are 24 winning projects and six honourable mentions. Additionally, the jury included two special mentions in the selection. The awarded stories will be shown to millions as part of the annual exhibition in over 60 locations around the world. Millions more will see the winning stories online.

The awarded photographs were selected from 61062 entries by 3851 photographers from 130 countries. They were judged first by six regional juries, and the winners were then chosen by a global jury consisting chaired by Fiona Shields, Head of Photography at The Guardian.

We feature some of the winning photos from Africa.

JOELINE (Fara) Rafaraniriana, 41, watches her father, Dada Paul Rakotazandriny, 91, clean fish at home on Sunday afternoon. A typical Sunday consists of the family attending church in the morning and spending time together in the afternoon. Fara works during the week and as the sole provider and carer for her daughter and father, struggles to manage all her responsibilities in the absence of assistance by her siblings who live close by. | Lee-Ann Olwage

Shila sits with others in the IDP site where she is taking refuge with her family in the town of Mekele, Tigray region, northern Ethiopia. During Ethiopia’s two-year civil war, tens of thousands of women were raped. Fighting began in 2020 in the northern region of Tigray but eventually spread to the entire north. This civil war was characterised by extreme sexual violence. | Arlette Bas

Sunday Tribune