Boniface Mwangi (Kenya) 2018 is one of the most vocal and courageous Kenyans of our generation. Recognized globally for his passion and excellence in photography, this photographer-cum-activist could not resist the call to activism after witnessing, first-hand, the brutality that disadvantaged Kenyans experienced in the wake of the Post- Election Violence of 2008. He then established Picha Mtaani, a traveling photography exhibition showcasing images of the violence. The travelling photo exhibition toured across Kenya and drew more than 2 million visitors. The exhibition tour offered a platform for individual reflection, honest dialogue, interpersonal healing and community reconciliation. In 2012, Boniface founded PAWA254, a hub for creatives in Kenya, where journalists, artists and activists find innovative ways of achieving social change. At 34, he has been a guest of the state on many occasions for championing justice and calling out powerful leaders for their wanton corruption and blatant violation of human rights. As a husband and father, his wife and children have endured hostilities from different quarters. He has twice won the CNN Multichoice Africa Photojournalist of the Year Award and is the youngest Prince Claus Laureate. New African Magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential Africans of 2014 and 2016 and he is a senior TED Fellow. Time magazine recognized him as a Next Generation Leader in 2015 and he was selected as Kenya’s Top 40 under 40 men in 2016.
Busisiwe Mtabane (South Africa) 2017 is a Pan-African feminist, journalist and activist. She is currently the national communicator for the Right2Know Campaign in South Africa, but plans to return to radio broadcasting as it is her first love. She worked previously as a radio presenter and producer for Bush Radio’s flagship show Sakhisizwe (Building the Nation). In 2015, she was selected as one of the Mail & Guardian’s 200 young South Africans who are shaping the country’s future. She is passionate about human rights issues and gender equality. Working for the Right2Know Campaign has exposed her to another spectrum of activism. She draws inspiration from great African leaders like the late Robert Mangaliso Sobukwe and Thomas Sankara, who said we must “never be shamed of being Afrikan”. Busi speaks five South African languages, and is passionate about learning new languages. She is inspired by Mosunmola Abudu, founder of Ebony Life Television, and Khanyi Dhlomo, founder and CEO of Ndalo Media, who have proven that anything is possible if you put your mind, the work and time into it.
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