The inaugural Cape Town Photography Festival will explore the theme of Heritage. Taking place during September, which is South Africa’s national Heritage Month, the festival uses photography to investigate the powerful connections between history, identity, and belonging.

Through a curated programme of exhibitions, talks, demonstrations, and workshops, the event presents diverse visual narratives from South African and international artists. The festival aims to engage a broad public audience while placing a special emphasis on youth development through targeted educational initiatives.

“Cape Town has a rich history of celebrating photography, having hosted the Month of Photography festival from the late 1990s until 2014. Since then, the photographic landscape in South Africa has evolved significantly, with a new generation of artists using the medium to explore urgent social, political, and environmental issues. The city itself has also grown as a cultural hub, now home to two new private museums that reflect its expanding commitment to the arts” (Heidi Erdmann / Festival Director).

More Cape Town Photo Fest Exhibitions & Events

Here is a list of additional exhibitions and special projects happening across the city as part of the festival.

1. …Looking In?
Venue: Sanlam Gallery
Details: A selection of hand-printed photographs by the legendary Jurgen Schadeberg (1931–2020) from the Kilbourn Collection. Curated by Stefan Hundt.

2. Carnival
Venue: Cape Medical Museum
Details: A group exhibition featuring Brenton Geach and Nomusa Makhubu, with additional Brazilian photographers to be confirmed. Curated by Heidi Erdmann.

3. Future Heritage
Venue: Aspire Art
Details: A group exhibition with Mohau Modisakeng (South Africa), Ahn Jun (South Korea), Koo Gi Jeong (South Korea), and Boris Eldagsen (Germany). Curated by Suok-Won Yoon.

4. Family Album
Venue: WORLDART Gallery
Details: A solo exhibition by Japanese photographer Naoya Yoshikawa.

5. Until All Birds Can Sing: On Being Queer in South Africa
Venue: YoungBlood Gallery
Details: A solo exhibition by Moena Weiss (Berlin/San Francisco).

6. Stranger in a Strange Land
Venue: Art Gallery at Central Library
Details: A solo exhibition by renowned artist Roger Ballen.

7. District Six: People Lived Here
Venue: Cape Institute for Architecture
Details: A historical exhibition of work by Jansje Wissema (1920–1975), who was commissioned in 1970 to document the buildings, street life, and people of District Six.

8. Attached to the Soil
Venue: Simonstown Museum
Details: A solo exhibition by Peter Glendinning (Michigan, USA) that focuses on the aspirations of South African youth and their connection to the country and its history.

9. Mauritian Heritage
Venue: Alliance Française Gallery
Details: A group exhibition curated by Karen Pang and Meha Desai.

10. Shooting Stars: a look at music photography
Venue: 6 Spin Street Gallery
Details: A group show exploring the world of music photography, featuring Rafs Mayet, Patrick De Mervelec, Oscar Gutierrez, John Hogg, Frank Marshall, and more. Curated by music writer Carsten Rasch.

11. Frail and Flowering
Venue: Artvark Gallery, Kalk Bay
Details: A solo exhibition by Namibian artist Margaret Courtney-Clarke. Curated by Virginia MacKenny.

12. The entity outside the boundaries
Venue: Art Gallery at the Central Library
Details: A solo exhibition by South Korean artist Suok-Won Yoon.

13. NOU / NOW
Venues: GUS Gallery & Laubscher Gallery (Ruth Prowse School of Art)
Details: An exhibition of student photography, curated by Naoya Yoshikawa (Osaka University of Arts, Japan) and Ashley Walters (US).

14. A Photo Book Project
Venue: Central Library
Details: A special project presenting a book of photographs and text by JM Coetzee, edited and introduced by Hermann Wittenberg.

15. Resisting the Pixel: Narratives in Analogue
Venue: Kingsbridge Art Gallery
Details: In an era of digital automation, this group exhibition celebrates the deliberate and historic processes of analogue photography.

16. Van Kalker Photo Studio
Venue: District Six Museum
Details: A selection of photographs (1937–1978) drawn from the museum’s permanent collection.

17. Kids Eyes
Venue: Central Library
Details: This exhibition features photographs from participants in the festival’s educational programme, developed by legendary photographer Lindeka Qampi.

18. Witness
Venue: THK Gallery
Details: A group exhibition featuring international and local photographers, curated by Ally Martinez.

19. Motherhood
Venue: Iziko South African National Gallery (ISANG)
Details: A group exhibition curated by Andrea Lewis, with photographs by Zanele Muholi, Nomusa Makhubu, Lindokuhle Sobekwa, Lebohang Kganye, and many more.

20. There’s something I must tell you
Venue: Iziko South African National Gallery (ISANG)
Details: A major retrospective exhibition covering the five-decade-long career of celebrated artist Sue Williamson.

Workshops & Live Demonstrations

Get hands-on experience and see photography in action with these special programmes running throughout the festival.

1. Educational Photography Workshops

• Facilitator: Lindeka Qampi
• Venue: Central Library
• Details: An educational programme specifically designed for school kids. This is a fantastic opportunity for young, aspiring photographers to learn from a legend in the field.
• Booking: To book a group, please contact Lindeka Qampi directly.

2. Analogue Printing & Darkroom Demonstrations

• Host: Sean Wilson
• Venue: Sean’s Studio, Bijou Building, Observatory
• Details: Sean’s studio and darkroom will serve as the festival’s hub for live demonstrations. Witness the magic of historic wet and dry plate processes and other analogue printing techniques.
• Booking: To book or for more information, please contact Sean Wilson.