Africa is a beautiful and varied continent, but going by what you see from the majority of photographs in the media, you’d be forgiven for thinking all that existed in each of its 54 countries was never ending savannahs and endless safaris.
This year a brilliant hashtag erupted on social media – #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou – which aimed to break the perception that all African countries were the same – affected by poverty, war and hunger – and boy were the images powerful. Not only in their beauty and charm, but in their ability to say so much more about a subject than people were previously aware of.
It may be a cliché but sometimes an image really can speak a thousand words, and what was being said is this: Africa is a continent, like Europe or South America, and should be treated as such. In the same way that Iceland and Italy are seen as two entirely different European identities, Cameroon and Mozambique have their own customs, styles and ways of life too, which are often not shown!
That’s why this World Photography Day, we decided to trawl Instagram and gather the best citizen snaps we could from each country across the continent:
South Africa
Swaziland
A photo posted by Maarten Verheijden (@maartenverheijden) on Aug 9, 2015 at 11:30am PDT
Lesotho
A photo posted by Chris Rogers (@chrisrogersza) on Aug 15, 2015 at 12:38pm PDT
Botswana
A photo posted by Anke (@ankevandiessen) on Aug 17, 2015 at 12:03am PDT
Namibia
A photo posted by Kim van Dam – justliketotravel (@justliketotravel.nl) on Aug 17, 2015 at 4:58am PDT
Zimbabwe
A photo posted by atsushi kawakubo (@kawabus_a380) on Aug 7, 2015 at 2:30am PDT
Mozambique
A photo posted by Helder (@helderkc) on Aug 9, 2015 at 8:51am PDT
Madagascar
A photo posted by Taha (@tahaghouchkanlu) on Aug 16, 2015 at 6:46am PDT
Angola
A photo posted by MAPP Africa (@mappafrica) on May 11, 2015 at 4:32pm PDT
Zambia
A photo posted by Shannon Wild (@shannon__wild) on Aug 13, 2015 at 3:29am PDT
Tanzania
A photo posted by ♥ Travel Wander Wonder ♥ (@girlsgonewandering) on Aug 19, 2015 at 5:28am PDT
Malawi
A photo posted by Justin Valley (@justinvalley) on Jul 20, 2015 at 3:48am PDT
Burundi
A photo posted by Yadé (@beautifulsideofafrica) on Aug 12, 2015 at 11:43am PDT
Rwanda
A photo posted by Caitlin Ryan O’Connell (@caitlinryanoc) on Aug 18, 2015 at 9:29am PDT
Democratic Republic of Congo
A photo posted by adamkieferphoto (@adamkieferphoto) on Aug 14, 2015 at 11:38am PDT
Congo
A photo posted by Fatou N’Diaye (@blackbeautybag) on Aug 14, 2015 at 3:39am PDT
Gabon
A video posted by Magnus Boge (@magnus.boge) on Aug 18, 2015 at 12:16am PDT
Equatorial Guinea
A photo posted by PATRIMONIO GUINEA 2020 (@patrimonioguinea2020) on Jul 17, 2015 at 12:42pm PDT
Uganda
A photo posted by The Pearl Guide Uganda (@thepearlguideug) on Aug 19, 2015 at 6:43am PDT
Kenya
A photo posted by Gemma-Louise Sutherland (@glsutherland) on Aug 17, 2015 at 9:49am PDT
Cameroon
A photo posted by The answer. (@tatiamdo) on Aug 18, 2015 at 4:58pm PDT
Somalia
A photo posted by Yussuf Farrah (@y_ssuf) on Aug 19, 2015 at 2:51am PDT
Ethiopia
A video posted by ETHIOPIA SKATE (@ethiopiaskate) on Oct 20, 2014 at 10:13am PDT
Burkina Faso
A photo posted by @onlyjenny on Aug 13, 2015 at 3:36pm PDT
Eritrea
A photo posted by Galactus (@solomonisaak) on Aug 16, 2015 at 9:33am PDT
Sudan
A photo posted by Ahmed Saeed (@kratshyphotos) on Aug 18, 2015 at 5:29am PDT
South Sudan
A photo posted by Bruno Feder (@brunobfeder) on Aug 12, 2015 at 10:04pm PDT
Egypt
A photo posted by @tariffa on Aug 18, 2015 at 1:16pm PDT
Libya
A photo posted by Chris Graber (@chrisgraber.photography) on Jul 16, 2015 at 5:46pm PDT
Chad
A photo posted by Everyday Africa (@everydayafrica) on Jul 16, 2015 at 8:55am PDT
Niger
A photo posted by Carlos Salmon (@carlossalmonrivera) on Aug 17, 2015 at 2:22pm PDT
Nigeria
A photo posted by Fati Abubakar (@fatiti____) on Aug 18, 2015 at 9:20am PDT
Benin
A photo posted by Floflo (@elliotawam) on Aug 18, 2015 at 3:59am PDT
Togo
A photo posted by Ciudades Del Mundo (@ciudadesdelmundo) on Aug 16, 2015 at 8:25am PDT
Ghana
A photo posted by T h e A x e g i r l (@a.a.k.s) on Aug 10, 2015 at 8:26am PDT
Cote d’Ivoire
A photo posted by Greg Pepper (@gregpepper) on Aug 14, 2015 at 12:03pm PDT
Liberia
A photo posted by Shira Spinosaurus Goldstein (@shirailana06) on Aug 19, 2015 at 7:57am PDT
Sierra Leone
A photo posted by Tokeh Beach Resort (@tokehbeach) on Aug 19, 2015 at 3:52am PDT
Guinea
A photo posted by TiFanmKreyòl (@iamperpetua) on Aug 16, 2015 at 7:39am PDT
Guinea-Bissau
A photo posted by Isabelle robinson (@izzyrob1) on Aug 11, 2015 at 10:08am PDT
Gambia
A photo posted by ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀RUSH & ELINE (@leitotravels) on Aug 18, 2015 at 10:38am PDT
Senegal
A photo posted by National Geographic (@natgeo) on Aug 17, 2015 at 5:17pm PDT
Maurititana
The one-of-a-kind red sand deserts of Mauritania. Photo by @noor_info #mauritania #travel #traveling #vacation #visiting #instatravel #instago #instagood #trip #holiday #photooftheday #fun #love #travelling #tourism #tourist #instapassport #igers #landscape #instatraveling #mytravelgram #travelgram #beautiful #like #travelingram #igtravel #beautifuldestinations #wonderful_places A photo posted by An African Paradise (@an_african_paradise) on Aug 17, 2015 at 12:44pm PDT
Morocco
On the road to Huceima #trip #travel #morocco #hoceima #goodtimes A photo posted by Ramulus (@ramlaabi) on Aug 18, 2015 at 12:35pm PDT
Algeria
O dağlar hep Cezayir #elkef #lakasbah #tunisia #algeria #sansfrontieres #tunus #cezayir #magrib A photo posted by Görkem Duru (@kafamdakikurbaga) on Aug 18, 2015 at 12:27pm PDT
Tunisia
A photo posted by @mkaabi on Aug 20, 2015 at 3:16am PDT
Mali
She’s gorgeous, yes? {Find out what I’m REALLY doing in #Mali, today on the blog. Link in the profile.♥️} #Africa A photo posted by Maryam Montague (@mmontagueliving) on Aug 18, 2015 at 7:04am PDT
Djibouti
#djibouti A photo posted by @sailor_ck on Aug 17, 2015 at 10:43am PDT
Cabo Verde
Bien arrivée… 🚤💦🐟 #tarrafal #caboverde #mbemdifora #mbemdiforatravel A photo posted by Mélocy Semedo (@mbem_di_fora) on Aug 18, 2015 at 1:59pm PDT
Central African Republic
Comoros
Mauritius
Nénuphars géants dans le jardin de Pamplemousses à l’île Maurice. Giant water lilies in the garden of Pamplemousses in Mauritius. #mer #sea #bateau #boat #view #vue #catamaran #beach #croisiere #cruise #ilemaurice #mauritius #îles #island #beautiful #nofilter #port #harbor #voilier #yacht #soleil #sun #voyage #Travel #holiday #paradis #paradise #vacation # A photo posted by travel_steph (@travel_steph) on Aug 19, 2015 at 6:10am PDT
São Tomé and Príncipe
Pico Cão Grande, Sao Tomé et Principe w/ @welooveliife | #Visiterlafrique #Saotome #Voyage #Africa #Travel A photo posted by @visiterlafrique on Aug 18, 2015 at 5:24am PDT
Seychelles
SO awesome, right?!
