For photographers, some of the most powerful images are not just seen; they are felt. They provoke conversations, preserve history, challenge perspectives, and inspire action. As climate change continues to reshape communities across Africa and the world, photographers have an opportunity to document one of the defining stories of our generation. Recognising the transformative role of visual storytelling, Africa Soft Power (ASP), in partnership with African Women on Board (AWB), has officially opened entries for the 2026 Climate Change Photo Essay Prize, inviting emerging photographers from across Africa and the global African diaspora to tell compelling stories through their lenses.
The Prize forms part of the broader “Road to 100 Million Climate Soldiers in Africa” initiative, a movement committed to raising awareness and mobilising action around climate resilience through creativity, innovation, and community engagement. The 2026 edition challenges photographers to explore the realities of climate change beyond statistics and headlines. Under the theme “Lines of Survival: Living, Adapting, Imagining Tomorrow,” participants are encouraged to document the people, places, and communities navigating the changing climate. Whether it’s a farmer adapting to unpredictable rainfall, a coastal community responding to rising sea levels, young innovators creating sustainable solutions, or everyday acts of resilience, the Prize seeks visual narratives that reveal both the challenges and the hope shaping Africa’s future.
Rather than focusing solely on environmental destruction, entrants are encouraged to capture stories of adaptation, resilience, innovation, and possibility.
The competition is open to:
- Photographers aged 18 to 30
- Residents of Africa or members of the global African diaspora
- Emerging and established visual storytellers passionate about documentary, environmental, and social impact photography
Entry is completely free, making the opportunity accessible to talented photographers regardless of financial background. Beyond recognition, the Prize offers meaningful opportunities for photographers looking to elevate their work on an international stage. The Overall Winner will receive a USD $2,000 cash prize. At the same time, selected photo essays will become part of an international exhibition tour, building on previous showcases in New York, London, Lagos, and Nairobi.
For many photographers, the opportunity extends beyond financial reward. Exhibiting alongside powerful climate narratives offers international visibility, connects photographers with global audiences, and positions their work within conversations shaping environmental policy, sustainability, and social impact. Photography has long played a crucial role in documenting social movements, humanitarian crises, and environmental change. Images have the unique ability to communicate urgency where words often fall short.
Across Africa, photographers continue to document droughts, flooding, desertification, biodiversity loss, urban resilience, and community-led solutions. Their work not only archives history but also influences public awareness, policy conversations, and collective action. The Climate Change Photo Essay Prize recognises that visual storytellers are essential contributors to these conversations.
By encouraging young photographers to tell authentic, locally rooted stories, the initiative seeks to amplify African voices in the global climate dialogue while celebrating the creativity and resilience found across the continent.
Entries for the 2026 Climate Change Photo Essay Prize close on July 17, 2026. Young photographers with compelling stories to tell are encouraged to submit their work before the deadline and join a growing movement that uses photography as a tool for awareness, advocacy, and change.
Sometimes, a single image can shift perspectives. This could be one of those moments for you.
