Ugandan Photographer Bags Africa Award

Africa Review || By Mwenda Micheni || 14 September 2015

Ugandan photographer Mohsen Taha is the overall Africa 2015 Photo Competition winner.

His shot of a boy holding a mobile phone, depicts a continent in the cusp of a technology take-off.

According to the contest organisers, Agility Africa, more than 700 photographs were submitted from 33 countries in the categories of industry, technology and cities.

Photographers were invited to submit their shots depicting Africa’s growth and development.

Carlos Aguiar from Angola and a Kenya's Ahmed A Osman, won in their categories, urbanisation and industry respectively.

Images of the city of Luanda in Angola, wheat fields in Kenya, and a child holding a cell phone won at the end of the exercise.

Very positive

A cash prize of $2,000 was awarded to the winner of each category, with the overall winner receiving an additional $2,000.

“I’m proud to be a part of a competition that helps to promote the economic development happening right now in Africa,” said Taha, in a press release.

“Agility launched this competition to help showcase some of the very positive advancements in infrastructure and technology happening across Africa,” said Geoffrey White, CEO of Agility Africa.

“As a company investing heavily in Africa’s future, we’re delighted to see how well these photographs have captured the region’s fast-paced evolution and modern spirit,” he added

The judges were Sneha Shah, Managing Director, Thomson Reuters Africa; Bronwyn Nielsen, Editor-in-Chief, CNBC Africa; and renowned Ghanaian artist, Prof Ablade Glover.

“The joy on the young boy’s face just radiates from the picture. It clearly demonstrates how investing in energy, technology and youth can positively shape Africa’s future. In short, this picture is Africa’s hope,” said Nielsen.