Rules & Regulations
Important rules to follow when taking part...
Eligibility
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The competition is open to photographers aged 25 years or younger as of the date of entry.
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Only photos taken during 2024 and 2025 are eligible.
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Photographs must be taken in Southern Africa, including: South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Angola, Zambia, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Tanzania, DRC, Mauritius, Madagascar, or Comoros.
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Theme: All entries must reflect the theme "New Beginnings."
Submission Rules
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Entry Limit: Each participant may submit up to 3 free entries.
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Additional Entries: A maximum of 2 additional entries can be purchased at 200 ZAR.
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File Format: Only JPEG images are accepted.
Name files in this format:
[CountryCode]_[PhotographerName]_[PhotoTitle].jpeg
(e.g., rsa_chucknorris_scaredlookinglion.jpeg). -
Images must be under 5 MB.
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All entries must be submitted via the official submission portal.
Judging Criteria
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Images will be judged based on creativity, composition, technical skill, adherence to the theme, and storytelling.
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Judges will focus on authentic, meaningful captures of "New Beginnings" rather than heavily edited images.
Ethical Guidelines
Entrants must respect wildlife and the environment. Disturbing or harming animals for photography is strictly prohibited. Unethical behavior such as baiting is not allowed.
Intellectual Property Rights
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By submitting your entry, you affirm that the work is your original creation and that you are the sole owner of the copyright for all images.
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Youth Photographer of the Year (YPOTY) and its sponsors do not claim ownership of the submitted images.
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You grant YPOTY a non-exclusive, worldwide, irrevocable licence to use, display, publish, and share your entries for competition-related purposes, including promotional activities, online and print media, and future competition events.
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All images used by YPOTY will be credited to the photographer.​​
For further details and to submit your entries, please visit the submission portal.