Veteran visual activist and photographer Prof. Zanele Muholi has been officially honoured with the prestigious Queer Impact Award at the 2026 eThekwini Pride Recognition Awards.
The accolade celebrates Muholi’s monumental, decades-long dedication to documenting black queer and transgender realities in South Africa, bringing local stories of identity, vulnerability, and resilience to the global stage.
Organisers of eThekwini Pride noted that the award reflects Muholi’s unparalleled contribution to LGBTQI+ visibility and community archives.
Through landmark photographic series such as Faces and Phases, Muholi has not only created an indispensable historical record but has actively used visual art as a tool for political advocacy, empowerment, and social justice.
Accepting the award, Muholi emphasized the ongoing need to create safe spaces, preserve community histories, and foster sustainable platforms for queer youth and creatives across South Africa.
Fresh from winning the prestigious Hasselblad Award, one of photography’s highest international honours, Muholi continues to expand the reach of the Muholi Art Institute (MAI).
The institute’s mission is clear, to democratise creative education and equip marginalised communities with the skills to tell their own stories. While the world celebrates Pride, Muholi is working hands-on in Salvador, Brazil, with local institutional learners through the Photo XP legacy project, delivering practical photography training that transforms lives on the ground.
“Winning this award at home is such a humble gesture that simply means I see you, we see you,” said Muholi. “It is a powerful reminder that our lives, our stories, and our love deserve to be seen, documented, and celebrated without apology.”
Muholi’s work has always gone far beyond the gallery walls. Through the Muholi Art Institute (MAI), they travel the world teaching photography to disadvantaged communities, many of whom have been excluded from both creative expression and economic opportunity. “Teaching photography to disadvantaged communities is the only language I know,” Muholi explains. “When given the right tools and support, this skill becomes more than an art form. It becomes an economic breakthrough, a means of self-representation, and a pathway to sustainable independence.”
This Pride Month, Muholi’s message resonates with renewed urgency: visibility is resistance, education is liberation, and authentic storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we have against erasure and inequality. By placing cameras in the hands of queer, Black, and marginalised voices, Muholi is not only documenting history but actively shaping a more just and inclusive future.
As South Africa celebrates its youth this month, the Muholi Art Institute (MAI) is deepening its investment in young South African creatives. These emerging photographers are being mentored to take their place on the global stage, using their lenses to drive meaningful change in communities at home and abroad. The impact is already visible. Lives transformed, voices amplified, and new narratives emerging that challenge old stereotypes and inspire pride across generations.
Muholi’s journey as they travel as the photographer and educator shows no signs of slowing. Each day brings new communities, new learners, and new opportunities to document the rich tapestry of human experience. Through the Muholi Art Institute (MAI), this vital work of radical visibility, skills development, and community empowerment will continue to touch lives and shift perspectives for years to come.
“This award honours the path we have walked together, but the real measure of our progress lies in the hands of young people across the globe. Through photography education we are not only protecting visibility. We are building a living legacy so that every generation that follows can document their own truths, claim their own power, and ensure that no story like ours is ever erased again.” Concludes Zanele Muholi.
About Zanele Muholi and the Muholi Art Institute (MAI)
Zanele Muholi is a world renowned South African visual activist whose photographs and films have been exhibited in major institutions globally. Through the Muholi Art Institute (MAI), they are building a lasting legacy that places art education at the centre of social and economic transformation, ensuring that the next generation of storytellers from marginalised communities can document and define their own realities.
The eThekwini Pride Recognition Awards continue to highlight key figures who drive progress, visibility, and legal and social protection for the LGBTQI+ community within the KwaZulu-Natal province and the broader nation.
