Building a Creative Career Starts with One Opportunity

Open call for African photographers. Submit work to be considered for group photography exhibitions and publications.

Author

Unpublished Africa
July 20, 2026

Welcome to African Visual Storyteller! Your weekly guide to African photographers, exhibitions, and creative opportunities.

This space exists to support visibility, connection, and real pathways for African creatives. Thank you for being part of our growing ecosystem.

African Visual Storyteller of the Week #64

Our featured storyteller this week is Joyce Kipunga 🇨🇩

Joyce Kipunga - Freedom in Motion, Burkina Faso (2023). Photo was exhibited by Unpublished Africa at the second Bakashimika International Photography Festival (2026) in Zambia under the theme ‘Tiyende/Twende’.

We invite you to lead an Unpublished Africa Photo Walk in your city

Group Photo From Addis Ababa Photo Walk 🇪🇹

We have recently received numerous requests for programming in new locations, and we are officially opening this up to our wider network. Should there be a host, you can also volunteer as a co host. Reply to this email should you be interested in bringing an Unpublished Africa Photo Walk to your city.

Upcoming Events and Photo Walks

Open Call: From the African Streets Volume 3

Have you joined an Unpublished Africa Photo Walk? Submit work from our photo walks to be considered for From the African Streets Volume 3.

Open Call for Exhibition: African Streets as Archives

Unpublished Africa invites photographers across the continent to submit work to be considered for a black and white group photography exhibition for our upcoming exhibition, Streets as Archives.

Take part in our Jos Photo Exchange 🇳🇬

Our first Photo Exchange was in Nairobi during our third Unpublished Africa Photo Week (2025) and we are excited to bring it to Jos Plateau, Nigeria. Photographers will get a chance to have their photography printed for this program.

🇳🇬 Join our Upcoming Jos Photo Exchange:

Creative Conversation 🇳🇬

Have you sold your photography in print form before? As part of the Jos Photo Exchange, we will host a Creative Conversation on The Culture of Photography Prints.

  • 🗓️ 28 July 2026

  • ⏰ 2:00 PM

Join the next Nairobi Photo Walk 🇰🇪

🇰🇪 Register for the July Nairobi Photo Walk:

Join our second Goma Photo Walk 🇨🇩

Photo Taken During Goma Photo Walk in Collaboration With Huru Kama Sanaa 2026

🇨🇩 Register for Goma Photo Walk:

Register for our August Lusaka Photo Walk 🇿🇲

Group photo from the Lusaka Photo Walk, May 2026

🇿🇲 Register for Lusaka Photo Walk:

Why Exhibitions and Publishing Matter More Than You Think

For many photographers, an exhibition or publication is a milestone. It's something to celebrate, add to a portfolio, or share with family and friends.

But our latest white paper suggests these moments play a much bigger role in shaping creative careers.

In I'd Be Empowered If... Building Infrastructure for Women's Participation in Africa's Creative Economy, we argue that exhibitions and publishing are not the end goal. They are often the first point of entry into the creative economy. They help creatives build credibility, expand professional networks, and create opportunities for future commissions, collaborations, and partnerships.

At Unpublished Africa, we've seen this first-hand.

For many photographers, our publications become their first published body of work. For others, our exhibitions become their first opportunity to exhibit professionally. During this year's “I'd Be Empowered If...” exhibition, three women photographers exhibited their work publicly for the first time. Those moments matter because they create the first professional milestone that creatives can build from.

Our research found that these opportunities help creatives:

  • Build a professional track record.

  • Increase visibility within the industry.

  • Connect with curators, publishers, and institutions.

  • Open the door to future commissions and collaborations.

  • Strengthen confidence and professional credibility.

However, the research also uncovered an important challenge.

Visibility alone is not enough. Many photographers told us that after their first exhibition or publication, they still struggled to access paid work, professional networks, commissioning opportunities, and ongoing support. Only a small proportion of respondents reported receiving consistent support after their first major opportunity, highlighting what our research describes as the transition gap between visibility and sustainable participation in the creative economy.

This is why Unpublished Africa continues to invest in exhibitions and publishing. We see them as more than platforms to showcase work. They are entry points into professional practice and an important part of helping photographers build careers that can grow over time.

In the white paper, we explore why these first opportunities matter, why they are often not enough on their own, and what kinds of infrastructure are needed to help creatives move from their first exhibition or publication to long-term participation in Africa's creative economy.

If you're interested in how creative careers are built, we think you'll find it a worthwhile read:

Walk Archive

Were you part of an Unpublished Africa Photo Walk? We’d love to see what you captured! Upload your photos to the Photo Walk Archive and help us document the journey.

Other Opportunities:

Help Us Improve What We’re Building

If you’ve joined an Unpublished Africa photo walk, exhibition, programme, or conversation, we’d really appreciate a quick Google rating and review.

It takes a few minutes, and it goes a long way in helping us build better infrastructure for African creatives.

👉 Leave a review here: https://g.page/r/CYo40kkDN_4UEBM/review

Thank you for being part of the journey and for helping shape what comes next.

➡️ Share this newsletter with a friend or colleague interested in the African creative economy!

Thank you for continuing to build with us.

More conversations, walks, and opportunities ahead.

— Unpublished Africa