Johannesburg is set to host its first-ever exhibition of the Sony World Photography Awards, one of the most prestigious international honours in photography, when the Roger Ballen Centre for Photography opens Decisive Moment on 15 August 2026.
The exhibition, running until 22 January 2027 at the Centre’s Forest Town venue, brings together award-winning images from the 2024, 2025 and 2026 editions of the Awards, now in their 20th year. This year’s competition alone drew more than 430,000 entries from over 200 countries and territories, underlining the scale of the platform whose winning work is now making its South African debut.
Curated in partnership with Creo and the World Photography Organisation, the show spans documentary, portraiture, wildlife, sport, landscape and creative photography, offering a wide-ranging look at how photographers around the world are documenting and interpreting contemporary life.
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Roger Ballen, founder of the Centre, described the exhibition as a rare opportunity to bring global photographic perspectives into conversation with a city defined by its own complexity and diversity, and said he expects the show to resonate widely with visitors while honouring the calibre of work the Sony World Photography Awards represents.
Running alongside Decisive Moment is New Eyes: The Roger Ballen Centre Photography Award, a new initiative spotlighting emerging South African photographers. The inaugural edition features work from Karabo Mooki, D.M. Terblanche and Zwelibanzi Zwane, selected by a panel of Emilie Demon, Michelle Loukidis and Jabulani Dhlamini, each bringing their own background in photography, education and curatorship to the selection process.
Placing New Eyes alongside an internationally recognised award creates a deliberate dialogue between global photographic excellence and the local talent shaping the medium’s next chapter in South Africa.
The Centre has also built a public programme around both exhibitions, including talks, workshops, masterclasses and guided walkabouts, aimed at deepening visual literacy among audiences, students and emerging photographers alike. Updated programme details will be published on the Centre’s website and social media channels throughout the run.
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Decisive Moment and New Eyes open on 15 August 2026 at the Roger Ballen Centre for Photography, 2 Duncombe Road, Forest Town, Johannesburg. Admission is R50, with the Centre open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 16:00, and Saturdays from 10:00 to 12:00.