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The BirdLife South Africa Photography Competition is back!

Thank you to everyone who has supported and participated in previous years. This year, we’re excited to announce new prizes and a fresh panel of judges. We wish all entrants the very best of luck!

The competition OPENS for entries at 08h00 (SAST) on 20 June 2025, and CLOSES for entries at 12h00 (SAST) on 18 July 2025, with judging taking place during July and August 2025.
NOTE: Any entries received after 12h00 (SAST) on 18 July 2025 will be invalid and will not be entered into the competition.  

Judges
Prizes
Rules
Categories
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🏆 Win one of 10 amazing prizes

🤩 Feature in African Birdlife magazine

📈 Support our bird conservation work

📅 Contribute to our 2026 calendar

We’re thrilled to return and invite you to once again showcase the wonder of South Africa’s incredible birdlife!

Photography allows us to share the striking beauty and fascinating behaviour of the birds we encounter—whether in our backyards or out in the wild. Whether you’re dusting off a favourite from your archives or heading out for that perfect shot, we’re looking for images that capture the essence of South Africa’s wild birds. From familiar feathered friends to once-in-a-lifetime sightings, we can’t wait to celebrate your vision.

And you could be celebrating too!

If your photo takes the top spot as the Grand Prize winner, you and a companion will enjoy an unforgettable four-night stay for two at either &Beyond Phinda Forest Lodge or Mountain Lodge.
And that’s not all — with nine additional categories, each offering its own incredible prize, there are even more chances for your talent to shine!

Plus, the winning entries will have their moment in the spotlight of our world-renowned magazine, African Birdlife, and in the BirdLife South Africa 2026 calendar. Don’t let this opportunity fly by!

For any queries about the competition, feel free to reach out to us at photocompetition@birdlife.org.za.

See 2024 winners here

Are you a paid-up member of BirdLife South Africa?

If so, you’ll receive a huge discount on your entries (R100/entry instead of R350/entry), so make sure you get in touch with BirdLife South Africa’s Membership Programme Manager, Shireen Gould, now to either sign up as a new member, renew your membership, or check that your membership is paid-up for the duration of the competition. Email her at membership@birdlife.org.za.

Find out more about BirdLife South Africa Membership here.

Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about prizes, categories, terms and conditions, and how to enter the competition.

Enquire about BirdLife South Africa Membership

Thanks to our prize sponsors:

Prizes

OVERALL WINNER

  • Grand Prize
    • An unforgettable 4 nights’ stay for 2 adults sharing at &Beyond Phinda Forest or Mountain Lodge
    • One year’s free membership to the Firefinch App 
    • One year’s free membership to Birdle Pro

MAIN CATEGORIES

SUB-CATEGORIES

Categories

GRAND PRIZE

The photograph that, according to the judges’ final decision and discretion, is the overall winner of the entire competition, based on a number of factors and photographic principles, including but not limited to: composition, focus, rule of thirds, emotive value, uniqueness of shot, judges’ experience, etc.

ACTION

A photograph that showcases birds (or a bird) in action, and/or highlights interesting or unbelievable bird behaviour.

PORTRAIT

A photograph that frames and depicts a bird (or birds) in a beautiful, engaging, and/or unique way, and gives the viewer a brief introduction to the bird species showcased.

BIRDS IN THE ENVIRONMENT

A photograph that highlights a bird (or birds) in relation to the environment around it, be it the weather, landscapes or habitats they exist in, interactions with other creatures or natural elements, etc.

GARDEN

A photograph which has been taken in an urban garden setting that uncovers the everyday beauty of some of our more common (or unique) garden visitors.

YOUTH

A photograph taken by a competition entrant who is under the age of 18 on the day of their entry.

PEOPLE'S CHOICE

A photograph that has been shortlisted by the competition judges, displayed on the BirdLife South Africa website, and has received the most votes from the public.

VOTER PRIZE

While this is not a photography category, one lucky person who votes for their favourite photo in the People’s Choice category, will stand a chance to win a Struik Nature book voucher, valued at R5 000.

THREATENED SPECIES

A photograph of a bird species that is marked as “Critically Endangered (CR)”, “Endangered (EN)”, or “Vulnerable (VU)” in the “BirdLife South Africa Checklist of Birds in South Africa 2024”. Only the Regional conservation status applies, not the Global conservation status. On the Checklist, this is the first listed designation. Note that Vagrant and Introduced species are excluded from this sub-category.

Please refer to the updated checklist here.

ENDEMIC SPECIES

A photograph of a bird species that is marked as “endemic (E)”, “endemic to South Africa, Lesotho and eSwatini (SLS)”, or “near endemic (i.e. ~70% or more of population in RSA) (NE)” in the “BirdLife South Africa Checklist of Birds in South Africa 2024”.

Please refer to the updated checklist here.

Competition Rules

  • To enter this competition, entrants need to complete the entry form on the BirdLife South Africa Photography Competition website, upload their images, accept these Terms & Conditions, and complete payment. 
  • A maximum of four (4) images may be uploaded per entry. Participants may enter more than once but will have to pay per entry. 
  • Images must have been photographed by and belong to the person entering the competition and whose name is on the entry form.
  • Submissions are only accepted in .jpg, .jpeg, and .png formats, with a maximum file size of 5mb. Entrants must be able to supply RAW or hi-res original files if requested. Any persons who infringe on the copyright of another person will be disqualified from the competition, and further action may be taken against them. 
  • Photographers’ names and/or watermarks must not be visible on the images or image files that are uploaded to the competition’s entry form, so that entries are kept anonymous, for judging purposes. Photographs that are uploaded and display the photographer’s name or watermark will be disqualified from the competition, and will not be judged, and entrants will forfeit their entry fee. 
  • Candidates must be residents of South Africa.
  • Entry fees are R100 (for BirdLife South Africa members) or R350 (for non-BirdLife South Africa members) per entry. For each entry, a maximum of four photographs may be entered into the competition. There is no limit on the number of entries.
  • The R100 discounted entry fee only applies to fully paid-up members (not African Birdlife magazine subscribers, bird club members, or members of the BirdLife South Africa Facebook Page or Group). Members must be paid up until the end of July 2025 to qualify for the discount. Members who enter using a membership discount but are not paid up until the end of July 2025, or who do not renew their membership until then will forfeit their entry fee. 
  • Entries must be photographs of wild birds that occur in South Africa only. Please refer to the BirdLife South Africa Checklist of Birds in South Africa 2025. 
  • Entrants should follow BirdLife South Africa’s Birding Code of Ethics, including no flushing of birds, and avoiding playback of calls to attract birds. 
  • Edits, such as cropping, lighting, etc., should be kept to a minimum, and major manipulation using design software is discouraged. 
  • The entry may not have been an overall or category winner, or runner up, in a previous competition. 

PLEASE ENSURE YOU FAMILIARISE YOURSELF WITH THE TERMS & CONDITIONS, BY CLICKING THE BUTTON BELOW:

Download the Terms & Conditions

Meet the judges

Karabo Matlala

Karabo Matlala is a photographer with over 14 years of experience with the last 5 years focused more on nature and wildlife. Birds have recently become a bigger part of Karabo’s journey, opening up new ways of seeing and appreciating the world around her. Her work is guided by curiosity, patience, and a deep respect for the environment. Karabo continues to explore and grow as a storyteller using photography as a way to explore, learn from, and connect with nature. With a keen eye for capturing the perfect moment, Karabo’s photographs tell unique stories about the relationship that birds have with their environments. Her love for birds is evident, and she uses her platform to share that love with others, and to encourage them to join her in appreciation of the natural world’s beauty.

Instagram:

@kb_snapshots

Trevor Hardaker

Trevor Hardaker has been birding from a very young age and did his first pelagic trip over 35 years ago. Since then, he has done hundreds of pelagic trips in his hometown of Cape Town and elsewhere in Southern Africa, and has also travelled fairly extensively around the world looking at birds, having visited and birded on all 7 continents. He runs a company called Zest for Birds that operates pelagic trips in the Cape and he also runs the SA Rare Bird News email alert system with thousands of Southern African birders subscribed to it, a major lifeline to twitchers and listers countrywide. As an avid twitcher and lister himself, Trevor has seen more species in Southern Africa than anyone else with his current total sitting at 942 species. He is also a co-author of the recently published Veld Birds of Southern Africa: The complete photographic guide.

Website:

www.hardaker.co.za

Instagram:

@trevor_hardaker

Lea Milde

Lea Milde (she/her) is a wildlife ecologist (M.Sc.), FGASA-endorsed
field and trails guide, and nature conservation photographer from
Germany. Passionate about capturing the wild in all its forms, she uses
her camera and scientific background to tell powerful conservation
stories, raise awareness of biodiversity loss, and foster meaningful
connections between people and nature.
Lea was named Newcomer Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2022 by
National Geographic Germany, and her work has been published in renowned
outlets including National Geographic Germany. She has collaborated with
global conservation organisations, tourism boards, and brands such as
Sony Germany, and she has served as a guest editor for United Nations
Biodiversity. As an ambassador for Girls Who Click, Lea actively
supports the next generation of women in nature photography.
With a deep respect for her subjects, Lea advocates for ethical wildlife
photography and brings a thoughtful, science-informed approach to every
encounter in the wild.

Instagram – @lea.milde

Roger Machin

Roger Machin is the product marketing manager at Canon South Africa and has worked in the photographic industry for almost 30 years. He has a wealth of knowledge on Canon photo and video products. He has been a guest judge in a large variety of local and international competitions spanning many genres of photography. He has worked with many local and international photographers and has a very good knowledge of what constitutes an award-winning picture. He is also a very keen birder, having rekindled the hobby in the last five years after a 30 years lapse. He is currently over 520 species seen in Southern Africa and has photographed over 450 of them. This makes him acutely aware of the challenges faced by bird photographers.

Juan van den Heever

A passionate birder and photographer since the age of eight, Juan brings a lifelong love of avian wildlife to the world of bird photography. As an Animal Science graduate and numerous competition wins under his belt, he is known for combining artistic vision with deep ecological insight. Currently working as a Bird Specialist in the renewable energy sector, Juan focuses on protecting bird populations while advancing sustainable solutions. His work bridges the gap between conservation and creativity, and he is honored to serve as a judge in this competition, celebrating the beauty and diversity of birds through the lens of talented photographers.

Instagram:

@juanvandenheever_photography

Entry Form

Please note: the entry form closes at 12h00 on 18 July 2025.

For any queries regarding the competition, please email photocompetition@birdlife.org.za.