Riffs, rage and racers: Africa’s top shots

Riffs, rage and racers: Africa’s top shots

May 2, 2025 / Cosmopolitan Canada /


A selection of the week’s best photos from across the African continent and beyond:

People watch as wildfires rage across parts of Table Mountain National Park in South Africa on Sunday. [ESA ALEXANDER / REUTERS]

A Catholic nun prays during a Requiem Mass in honour of Pope Francis. She wears a red, patterned tunic and pinned to her clothing is a portrait of the late Pope.

On Friday, four days after Pope Francis’ death, nuns and other believers pray for the late pontiff at the Holy Family Basilica church in Kenya’s capital city. [LUIS TATO / AFP]

Women line up with their back against the wall of the catwalk. Most are dressed in shades of blue, while the woman at the front wears a mustard-yellow dress with elaborate white detailing at the cuffs.

These designs by Rubicon are showcased by models on the second day of South Africa Fashion Week, in Johannesburg on Friday. [IHSAAN HAFFEJEE / GETTY IMAGES]

A man dressed in red smiles as he plays the guitar, looking straight into the camera.

Abdourahamane Ibrahim plays with his brothers in their band Etran de L’Aïr at the New Orleans Jazz Festival on Sunday. The musical family hails from Agadez in Niger. [TIM MOSENFELDER / GETTY IMAGES]

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A female demonstrator raises a placard reading ''the caged the just, we break the rust'' while demonstrators shout slogans against Tunisia's President Kaïs Saïed.
Hundreds of people gather at Place de la Nation Ouagadougou waving flags and showing their support for Capt Ibrahim Traoré.
People dance on stage wearing basketball jerseys and baggy trousers.

The Kivu Dancers’ Collective perform on International Dance Day in Goma, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The event went ahead despite the fact the city has been captured by Rwandan-backed M23 rebels, and the devastating violence suffered by civilians in the conflict. [JOSPIN MWISHA / GETTY IMAGES]

Somalia's national flag - bright blue with a white, five-pointed star in the middle - is blown by seawinds. The background boats are visible.

Boats, fishermen and swimmers enjoy Lido beach in Mogadishu on Friday as the Somali flag flutters overhead. [ED RAM / GETTY IMAGES]

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Two men in white karate suits engage in combat on mats. Spectators look on from the edges.

On Sunday, karate enthusiasts in Freetown competes in a version of the martial art called kyokushin. It has been growing in popularity in Sierra Leone for the past decade. [PATRICK MEINHARDT / AFP]

A man strokes and holds a camel around the head. The camel appears relaxed and its eyes are closed.

A herder hugs one of his camels in Douz in Tunisia on Thursday. The area is home to a large oasis with palm trees that produce masses of dates each year. [FETHI BELAID / AFP]

People covered in long straw costumes dance in unison.

Kumpos figures from Senegal’s southern region of Casamance dance during a climate action project in the capital, Dakar, on Sunday… [NICOLAS REMENE / AFP]

People wear elaborate costumes, some are chrome and futuristic in appearance, Others feature lots of hanging layers and attenae.

Also taking part is the Danuu collective, seen here in dazzling costumes. [NICOLAS REMENE / AFP]

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Kenya's Sabastian Sawe crosses the finish line to win the men's elite race. The ribbon falls as he runs through it, and Buckingham Palace is visible in the background.

Kenya’s domination of the annual London marathon continues, with 29-year-old Sabastian Sawe triumphing in the men’s race on Sunday. The winner of the women’s elite race was Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa, who broke the women’s world marathon record by 26 seconds. [MATTHEW CHILDS / REUTERS]

A detailed view of the trophy and the official match ball as people play football at Beau Vallon beach. The sun is low is the sky above the sea in the background.

And on Sunday the trophy and official match ball are displayed on a local beach ahead of the Fifa Beach Football World Cup in the Seychelles. [ALEX GRIMM / GETTY IMAGES]

More from the BBC on Africa:

A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa

[Getty Images/BBC]

Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.

Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica

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Cosmopolitan Canada

I'm a contributing writer at Cosmopolitan Canada, where I dive into the stories that matter most to modern women — from beauty and wellness to relationships, identity, and personal growth.I’m passionate about exploring the nuances of culture, self-expression, and what it means to live boldly in today’s world. Whether I’m interviewing inspiring voices, breaking down the latest trends, or writing from personal experience, my goal is always the same: to spark real conversation and empower readers to embrace who they are unapologetically.

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