Each year, Wiki Loves Africa celebrates the vibrant, diverse, and authentic visual stories told by photographers, filmmakers and audiographers across the continent. Behind the scenes, a dedicated team of jurors pours over thousands of submissions to select the most compelling representations of African life, culture, environment, and imagination—in 2025 that centred around the theme Farm to Plate.
This year’s jury brings together visual storytellers, open knowledge advocates, academics, and emerging creatives from across Africa and beyond. Their perspectives are as varied as the entries themselves—ranging from high-impact photojournalism and street photography to digital media scholarship and mobile-first filmmaking.
Below, we invite you to meet the people whose eyes and experiences will influence who wins Wiki Loves Africa in 2025. And the stakes are high, not only in prize value, but in the kudos winning what is rapidly becoming the largest media contest on the continent brings to Africa’s creatives.
🇳🇬 Eric Chidom (Nigeria)
Documentary Photographer & Filmmaker | Photography Jury
Eric Chidom is a documentary photographer and filmmaker based in Abuja. With a focus on humanitarian and cultural storytelling, he has produced internationally recognised work, including a Red Cross documentary and an AMVCA-nominated film. As Head of Productions at Ònye Ijé Productions and Lead Creative at Dorick Productions, he combines artistry with deep social awareness.
“I speak on winning the FX6 and my passion to help better the lives of the people in my community.”
— Directing Documentaries podcast, 2023 (Buzzsprout)
Why he matters on the jury: Eric brings an emotionally intelligent and socially grounded lens to judging, with a keen eye for storytelling that amplifies lived experience.
Sample work: Documentary feature Women of Salt (2024), cinematographer. Instagram reel
🇨🇮 Bouba Kam (Côte d’Ivoire)
Videographer & Two-time WLA Winner | Photography Jury
Aboubacar “Bouba Kam” Kamaté is a professional videographer and two-time Wiki Loves Africa winner (2020, 2021). Known for capturing vibrant street life and social realities across Abidjan, his work blends technical skill with raw authenticity.
“My work is about creating images. It’s about making the abstract beautiful through a well-crafted video.”
— Afrique Étoiles interview, 2019 (afriqueetoiles.com)
Why he matters on the jury: Bouba brings the perspective of a past winner with a deep understanding of what it takes to craft compelling, culturally rooted visual stories.
Sample work: WLA 2021 Video Winner
🇬🇧 Michael Maggs (United Kingdom)
Photographer & Wikimedia Commons Bureaucrat | Photography Jury
A former Chair of Wikimedia UK and long-standing Commons contributor, Michael Maggs was instrumental in launching Wiki Loves Monuments in the UK. His work combines a photographer’s eye with a community-builder’s heart.
“You don’t need to be a professional-quality photographer to upload photos and help make a difference.”
— Wikimedia UK blog, 2013 (wikimedia.org.uk)
Why he matters on the jury: Michael champions inclusivity in photography, encouraging participation from all levels and promoting open licensing for cultural preservation.
Sample work: Wikimedia Commons contributions
🇺🇬 Geoffrey Kateregga (Uganda)
Community Technologist & Mapper | Photography Jury
Geoffrey leads community projects at Humanitarian OpenStreetMap and serves on the board of Wikimedia Community User Group Uganda. Though better known for mapping, his work intersects powerfully with visual storytelling.
“Open Street Map gives power to communities… They map their own vulnerabilities and assets, filling in key data gaps.”
— Talk to Loop interview, 2021 (talktoloop.org)
Why he matters on the jury: Geoffrey brings an equity-focused, community-first approach to the photography jury that prioritises underrepresented voices and local insight.
Sample work: OSM profile
🇿🇦 Marion Walton (South Africa)
Digital Media Scholar & Educator | Photography Jury
Marion is Associate Professor at the University of Cape Town’s Centre for Film & Media Studies. Her research examines mobile photography, geo-tagged images, and visual digital literacies in underrepresented communities.
“‘Location’ does not express the many nuances of ‘place’… place describes the immediate ambiance of my lived body and its history.”
— Social distance, mobility and place, International Journal of Communication (2014) (ijoc.org)
Why she matters on the jury: Marion brings a critical and academic perspective to photography, exploring how identity, geography and digital access shape visual storytelling.
Sample work: Research profile
🇿🇼 David Brazier (Zimbabwe)
Architectural & Environmental Photographer | Photography Jury
David Brazier has over three decades of experience photographing architecture, development, and community life in Southern Africa. His work has appeared in TIME, National Geographic Africa, and The New York Times.
“Capturing intensity… my style powerfully captures action and emotion in challenging situations.”
— Studio bio (davidbrazier.photography)
Why he matters on the jury: David brings unmatched experience in architectural and environmental photography, helping to evaluate strong visual composition and thematic focus.
Sample work: Portfolio
🇪🇸 Bea de los Arcos (Spain)
Open Education Advocate & Curator | Photography Jury
Bea is the founder of We Like Sharing, a public repository of CC-licensed photos created by the TU Delft community. As a Learning Developer, she promotes open visuals and everyday beauty.
“We talk about appreciating beauty in everyday moments… and letting people choose how to share their stories.”
— OEG Voices podcast, 2025 (podcast.oeglobal.org)
Why she matters on the jury: Bea brings a deep commitment to openness, inclusion, and visual literacy—values at the heart of Wiki Loves Africa.
Sample work: We Like Sharing Flickr stream
🇿🇦 Nic Bothma (South Africa)
Photojournalist & Visual Editor | Photography Jury
Nic is Visual Editor at the Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism and formerly Chief Photographer for EPA Africa. He has covered wars, Mandela’s legacy, sport, and social movements.
“A glimpse into the life of a wire photographer… seconds can mean the difference between a front page and a missed moment.”
— Chavonnes Battery Exhibition (chavonnesbattery.co.za)
Why he matters on the jury: Nic’s career in high-stakes photojournalism equips him to evaluate clarity, context, and emotional impact in visual storytelling.
Sample work: CCIJ profile
🇨🇦 Alan Levine (Canada)
Open Web Advocate & Daily Photographer | Photography Jury
Known online as “CogDog,” Alan is a pioneer of Creative Commons photography, with over 70,000 images shared on Flickr. As Director of Community Engagement at Open Education Global, he champions openness, creativity, and accessible visual storytelling.
On his dedication to his daily photography practice:
“This daily photo thing is something I just have to do… It means walks … are not just tasks, but opportunities to seek light, shadow, funny signs, and also just let the mind wander.” cogdogblog.com
Why he matters on the jury: Alan’s playful discipline, commitment to open access, and joy in the everyday bring fresh energy to the jury process.
Sample work: Flickr stream, Commons uploads
🇳🇬 Benedicta Emmanuel (Nigeria)
Mobile Videographer & Photographer | Video Jury
A rising talent in the Nigerian visual space, Benedicta began her creative journey in 2022 using only her mobile phone. Her focus on street scenes, nature, and candid everyday life reflects a new generation of storytellers.
Why she matters: Benedicta represents an exciting wave of mobile-first creatives who see the world differently—through spontaneity, intuition, and lived experience.
Sample work: Not publicly available. Watch this space!
🌟 Thank You to Our Jury
The strength and credibility of Wiki Loves Africa lie in the community that surrounds it—and that includes the brilliant individuals who lend their time, insight, and visual acumen to the jury each year. We thank each of them for helping us honour the rich, complex stories told through African lenses.
The announcement of this year’s winners will take place at Wikimania 2025. To see the photography shortlist and credits on Commons, click here.