Wiki Loves Africa 2024

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Wiki Loves Africa

The 2024 Wiki Loves Africa poster for Wikimania 2024

Wiki Loves Africa (WLA) is an annual contest where anyone across Africa can contribute free media that is relevant to their experience to Wikimedia Commons for use on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia communities (Wikimedia movement), and also make this shared media freely available for the Humankind.

Wiki Loves Africa encourages participants to contribute media (photographs, video and audio) that illustrate the specific theme for that year. Each year the theme changes and is chosen by the community from a few universal, visually rich and culturally specific topics (for example, markets, rites of passage, festivals, public art, cuisine, natural history, urbanity, daily life, notable persons, etc).

When

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The project is a competition which takes place from March 1st till April 30th 2024

Theme

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Wiki Loves Africa particularly encourages participants to contribute media that illustrate a specific theme for that year. Each year the theme changes and could include any universal, visually rich and culturally specific topic (for example, markets, rites of passage, festivals, public art, cuisine, natural history, urbanity, daily life, notable persons, etc).

In 2024, the contest theme will be Africa Creates
In 2023, the contest theme was Climate and Weather;
In 2022, the contest theme was Home and Habitat;
In 2021, the contest theme was Health and wellness;
In 2020, the contest theme was Transportation;
In 2019(*), the contest theme was Play;
In 2017, we worked on People at work;
In 2016, the chosen theme was Music and Dance;
In 2015 the theme focused on Wiki Loves Africa Cultural Fashion and Adornment;
In 2014 the theme was Wiki Loves Africa Cuisine.

Where

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The project is run at the entire African continent level. However, every year, specific actions (training, communication etc.) are held in some countries with national organisers.

For more information on how to message around WLA head over to the messaging and Media page

Prizes

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At the end of the contest, some national organizers host local ceremonies and prizes (some others do not). This is up to local teams to decide if they want to host ceremonies.

In any cases, there is a global jury, and global selection of international winners (usually between 3 to 6), with prizes.

In 2024, the international prizes are:

Photography:

1st Prize : USD 1,000
2nd Prize : USD 900
3rd Prize : USD 800

Media (Video, Audio, Graphics, Photo Essays):

Best audio prize: USD 800
Wiki Loves Africa video prize - Narrative: USD 1,000
Wiki Loves Africa video prize - Reportage : USD 1000
Wiki Loves Africa video prize - Clip : USD 200
Jury Prize : USD 800

Each winner might also receive a pack of branded goodies.

News

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All news and meeting details on Wiki Loves Africa 2024/News

September 27, 2024: [Schedule] WLA 2024 Winners WAH interview
September 9, 2024: Invitation to vote for 2025 theme
September 9, 2024: commencing announcement of the Winners of the Wiki Loves Africa 2024 contest in various categories
September 6, 2024: Contacting winners of various categories (photo and Video)
August 23, 2024: Final jury discussion and winners selection
July 29, 2024: International video Jury Round 2 commences
July 26, 2024: International photo Jury Round 4 commences - Finalist selection Round
July 25, 2024: Second post contest interview with organizers of Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Madagascar and Niger Wikimedia communities en Francais
July 24, 2024: Wiki Loves Africa 2024 Post-Contest Participants Survey. link [CLOSED]
July 18, 2024: International photo Jury Round 3 commences
July 15, 2024: International video Jury Round 1 commences
July 10, 2024: International photo Jury Round 2 commences
July 3, 2024: International photo Jury Round 1 commences
June 1, 2024: Requesting nominations for WLA 2024 International Jury (photo and video). (kindly email Wilson - wilson@wikiinafrica.org to nominate yourself or someone else)
June 1, 2024: Commencement of community led first review process.
May 31, 2024: First post contest interview with organizers of Igbo, Botswana and Zimbabwe Wikimedia communities
May 31, 2024: Webinar: 8 things you need to know about Wikimedia Commons Category at 16H UTC
May 17, 2024: Webinar: Introduction to Local Jury Process and Navigating Montage at 16H UTC
May 15, 2024: Call for Wiki Loves Africa 2024 Images First Review volunteers. form
May 13, 2024: Workshop: Introduction to Image cleanup and tagging at 16H UTC
May 1, 2024: CLOSED: Official closing date for uploads for WLA 2024
April 19, 2024: Workshop: Videography Basics for WLA 2024 at 16H UTC
April 12, 2024: Workshop: Photo Processing using Mobile phones at 16H UTC
April 5, 2024: Webinar: Intellectual Property Rights and Licensing Policy on Commons at 16H UTC
April 4, 2024: Webinaire: Droits d'Auteur et Licences sur Wikimedia Commons sur 16H UTC
March 29, 2024: Webinar: Mobile Phone Photography at 16h UTC
March 22, 2024: Training: Uploading Videos to Wikimedia Commons at 16h UTC
March 1, 2024:Official launch of the WikiLoves Africa 2024 contest.
March 1, 2024: REGISTER TO LAUNCH
February 3, 2024: Arabic Office Hours
January 27, 2024: English Office Hours
WLA 2024 Ambassadors announced:

English

French

Arabic

4 December 2023: Call for 2024 Wiki Loves Africa Ambassadors CLOSES.
24 November 2023: Call for 2024 Wiki Loves Africa Ambassadors OPEN
1st November 2023: Deadline to apply for a Rapid Grant.
12 October 2023: Announcement of official theme for WLA 2024 - Africa Create
5 October 2023: Invitation to vote for 2024 theme
29 September 2023: WAH - Meet the Winners meeting
11 September 2023: Official Wiki Loves Africa 2023 Winners Announcement

Key facts

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The project is run across the whole continent, however, some specific actions (training, communication etc.) are held in some countries with national organisers.

Wiki Loves Africa has achieved much over 9 years:

Over 102,026 images have been entered by 11,165 competitors from up to 55 countries under a free licence (CC-BY-SA);
32 Wikimedia communities from 26 African countries have hosted participation events, information sessions and training workshops.
At least 357 participation and training events have been held by participating communities between 2014 and 2023.
The competition attracts high levels of new contributors to the Wikimedia projects – an average of 80% of participants are newbies;
The images entered to Wiki Loves Africa are viewed over 28 million times each month (Jan 2023)
Wiki Loves Africa’s images from the first 8 years have been viewed over 1,23 billion times altogether (Jan 2023)
A Wiki Loves Africa prize-winning image was included in the Journeys Through Our Fragile Heritage exhibition at the UNESCO headquarters, Paris.
Wiki Loves Africa’s ISA Tool won the WikiData Award 2019 for Best Multimedia Tool.
Mohamed Hozyen, a prize winner for Wiki Loves Africa 2019, was selected for the The Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (AFAC), Prins Claus Fonds and Magnum Foundation Arab Documentary Photography Programme.
A Wiki Loves Africa image Firefighter, Ashton Bay, March 2017 submitted by South African photographer Steven Terblanche for the Wiki Loves Africa 2017 contest under the theme of People at Work. The stunning image was selected for 3rd position for the Picture of the Year 2021 award and depicts a courageous firefighter battling against a veld-fire at Ashton Bay, Jeffreys Bay, Eastern Cape Province, Republic of South Africa.

2024 Partners and Community Organisers

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