South African Airways has revealed the two winners of its photography competition, Capture South Africa. A panel of five judges chose Alco Brand’s winning scenery shot of the view over Cape Town entitled ‘Cape Town by Night’ and Moira Enslin’s thought-provoking portrait of an elderly gentleman, entitled ‘Memories’ out of thousands of entries.
Both winners have won two return flights between South Africa and London with South African Airways. Capture South Africa (www.capturesouthafrica.com) aimed to encourage visitors and South Africans alike to celebrate the beauty of South Africa’s people and scenery through inspiring images. After thousands of entries to the competition, selecting a winner was a difficult task for the judging panel, comprising South African rugby player Francois Louw, TV adventurer Charley Boorman, international travel photographer Sasha Gusov , and SAA’s own Michelle Snodgrass and Sylvia Morton.
The competition saw almost 2,500 photography entries and over 12,000 new Facebook fans engaged with the competition on the campaign microsite. With so many stunning scenic shots capturing the beauty of South Africa entered, Facebook votes helped elevate the most popular images that went before the judges. The unique twist on the iconic image of Cape Town meant this nighttime image stood out from others. The judges loved the stunning colours of the night sky with the reflection on the rocks and the bustling city below.
The winner, Alco, from the Western Cape in South Africa, said: “This is the biggest surprise that I could have wished for. This shot was a favourite from when my girlfriend came to visit me in March. It was her first time to Cape Town and she was blown away by the view from Table Mountain and the city by night. After she left I had this photo printed on a massive canvas to be delivered to her door in London. Pleasant memories of a fantastic trip. I’m absolutely honoured to be selected as the winner.”
The winning ‘people’ image was chosen because the judges felt it perfectly captured the emotion, character and personality of the elderly gentleman in the photograph, taken in the Eastern Cape. Each time the judges looked at the picture, they noticed something new, which further enticed them to find out more about the subject.
Jon Danks, Head of Marketing UK&I, South African Airways, said: “We have been delighted to host such an amazing showcase of South Africa’s stunning landscapes and people. The quality of the entries from across the UK and Africa has been fantastic. Many images were incorporated into the marketing campaign to promote our routes and the beauty of South Africa as a destination. Thanks to everyone who entered and to our judges for their time, effort and hard work in selecting these two fantastic pictures.”
CaptureSouthAfrica.com generated more than 36,000 visits, with over 4,500 votes in total for the competition.
