Afrika Burn 2015

My plan for Afrika Burn was to shoot the living daylights out of it. I actually planned to shoot the daylights, the nightlights and everything else in between. But Afrika Burn had other plans for me, so these pictures are a story within a chapter of my Afrika Burn experience. This year was my second Burn, and I can tell you that there will be more stories and more chapters as we are already thinking of next year. It hooks you like that!

For those of you who haven’t heard about Afrika Burn, it is an arts festival that could be described as Africa’s version of Burning Man, and it happens once a year in the desert in the Tankwa Karoo National Park. Thousands of people come together to form a community that celebrates love, life, self-expression and creativity. It’s a place where you can be your inner unicorn and not be judged, a place where there is nothing to be bought or sold, a place where you can dance naked under the stars if that is really what you can do, or you can just sit and watch the sheer whimsy and delight of it all! It is an artist’s paradise, a safe space for the inner child to run free and for the adult to learn that society could be better if we all practiced more kindness, generosity and sense of community.

44 Comments

  1. Dillon Kin on May 13, 2015 at 3:22 pm

    Jacki, I saw your post about the Burn last year, and this year you didn’t disappoint! Just looking at your photos, it feels like I’m there 🙂 I’d like to get the courage to go to this one year.



  2. Matthew on May 13, 2015 at 3:36 pm

    Just beautiful. Thank you for sharing 🙂



  3. Selma on May 13, 2015 at 3:42 pm

    Oh man! I’ve been waiting to see these! They are darn fabulous! #nextyear



  4. Candy Horne on May 13, 2015 at 3:52 pm

    Absolutely flippin amazing photos Jacki, just fantastic!! Every single one of them.



  5. Robyn Rose on May 13, 2015 at 3:57 pm

    So beautiful



  6. fathima on May 13, 2015 at 3:58 pm

    Incredible images! Looks like an amazing experience, those structures are truly something.
    Was hoping for a shot of you in those amazing tights you had bought, would love to see how it all looked 😉



  7. Marie on May 13, 2015 at 4:59 pm

    wow Jax, stunning!



  8. Natalie Martyn on May 13, 2015 at 6:28 pm

    I love these but where are the pics of yoooooooooou 🙁



  9. Richard on May 13, 2015 at 6:43 pm

    Like your work!! tantalizing!!



  10. Jodi on May 13, 2015 at 7:13 pm

    You are talented – enough said!



  11. Chantel Bridger on May 14, 2015 at 5:15 am

    Jax your pics transport us to this amazing parallel universe of magic and incredible visions! Really amazing photographs, made me want to sit for hours staring at each one! x x



  12. Great work Jacki! on May 14, 2015 at 6:26 am

    Great work Jacki!



  13. dave on May 14, 2015 at 7:57 am

    lovely pics Jacki love that first one and the one of Peter is super cool!



  14. Debby on May 14, 2015 at 8:49 am

    Stunning Jacki love the light in all the pictures, but yes where are you? Love you xxx



  15. Nola on May 14, 2015 at 9:26 am

    Beautiful photo’s – a picture paints a thousand words, that words themselves fail to describe. <3 Thank you for sharing.



  16. Sherryl Carrilho on May 14, 2015 at 9:30 am

    Just fabulous. I will be there next year!!! for sure!



  17. Tricia on May 14, 2015 at 9:50 am

    Wow! Amazing, but where are you???



  18. kathy on May 14, 2015 at 12:48 pm

    Awesome awesome- need to do on my bucket list



  19. Anel on May 14, 2015 at 1:35 pm

    Absolutely amazing photographs!!! (as always!)



  20. Dianne on May 14, 2015 at 1:48 pm

    Absolutely beautiful pictures, I was at Afrikaburn and you have captured it so beautifully. Thanks you.



  21. Sheugnet Christie on May 14, 2015 at 2:05 pm

    Jax you never fail to disappoint. I’ve been waiting for YOUR pics – none of the other come anywhere near showing the emotions and vibes of AB as yours do. LOVE the first one – will recognize that silhoutte anywhere.



  22. Noddy on May 14, 2015 at 2:05 pm

    Wow such talent! , was hoping to see a pic or two of some art cars in action.. please if you have any of the ‘Burn Bug” , contact me , pls.. the little beeded car front and back with the hairy crawly legs :).. , once again beautiful work !!! , peace and burning Love



  23. Ché Dyer on May 14, 2015 at 2:32 pm

    These photos are INCREDIBLE!!!



  24. Olivia on May 14, 2015 at 2:46 pm

    Absolute beautiful – can I order – me and friends on bicycle in front of the burning ‘nothing’.



  25. Carryn on May 14, 2015 at 7:39 pm

    Jacqui, I have been hoping that you would capture this year as beautifully as you did last year and you have outdone yourself. Thank you for the gift of your talent!



  26. Julia on May 15, 2015 at 12:27 am

    Jax, you are a true talent. So glad to see through your eyes this great festival.
    Thanks for the amazing pictures.
    Love you loads, Julia



  27. Rene Maritz on May 15, 2015 at 4:27 am

    Wow you captured the experience so beautifully…thank you for sharing it. I was going to go for my very first time, but ny dad ended up in hospital. My husband and daughter went and loved it. Next year God willing I will get an opportunity!



  28. Till Manecke on May 15, 2015 at 5:04 am

    Thank you for the wonderful pictures!



  29. Christelle Wait on May 15, 2015 at 6:42 am

    Wow, what incredible photos!! Thank you so much for sharing. Was there too, but to try and describe it is most difficult. As someone said, its like trying to describe colour to a blind person. These photos, however, tells the story that words fail to. See you at the next Burn then!!



  30. Travis on May 15, 2015 at 7:46 am

    Wow, such amazing shots, thank you!

    p.s: AB doesn’t actually take place IN the Tankwa Karoo National Park (it takes place on Stonehenge Private Reserve, which is the property that borders it).



  31. Michelle Nel on May 15, 2015 at 8:10 am

    WOW!! Beautiful!! Captured the heart and essence of it all!



  32. Heidi on May 15, 2015 at 6:34 pm

    tk you! we couldn’t go this year but your pics told so much of the what we missed. x



  33. KarenO on May 15, 2015 at 9:57 pm

    I have been looking forward to your images. They are Simply Stunning, and as always inspire me so much. You have no idea. 🙂 Next year we will get it sorted so we can come together and collaborate. Thank-you for your gift and for being you. Keep the fires burning in your heart till next year. Lots of Love from KarenO



  34. Fiona on May 16, 2015 at 6:24 am

    Beautiful Burn images!!! You took me back to the dust 🙂



  35. Hazel on May 17, 2015 at 1:27 am

    Elegantly captured. I loved it too.



  36. Mike on May 18, 2015 at 5:17 am

    perceptive & deeply emotive images – you shoot with your heart – respect & thanks for sharing this special event ^^shoo^^



  37. Darlene on May 18, 2015 at 1:44 pm

    Wow Jacki – Thanks for capturing the moments in such splendor !



  38. Boshoff on May 19, 2015 at 8:18 am

    Wow wow wow! Incredible!



  39. Mich Rae on May 19, 2015 at 1:37 pm

    Fab work Jacki !!



  40. Claudia on May 19, 2015 at 4:37 pm

    Amazing photos, thank you.



  41. Liz on May 20, 2015 at 4:47 am

    Wow I love your work! thank you for such an amazing array of pictures and for sharing them! 🙂 shine on!



  42. Andrew on May 20, 2015 at 9:18 am

    Great pics ! I get the radical expressionism and temporary community thing but why the burning/polluting ? A wasteful/harmful exercise in my eyes which sits uncomfortably in the South African context…



  43. Erik on June 16, 2015 at 7:55 am

    Transported straight back to the desert! Thank you for your beautiful work!



  44. amanda on June 3, 2017 at 1:54 am

    hey, that’s me! was looking for a different photo and found this one instead. thank you for recording this event. xo a



Leave a Comment





This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Get in touch