Keanan Harmse
A university student from Diep River’s camera skills in capturing wildlife crowned her as one of the winners of a photography competition.
Nurah Samsodien won the Nature to Nurture exhibition, a collaborative event between the University of the Western Cape (UWC) Nature Reserve Unit and the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) Art Club.
Samsodien is currently completing her Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Water Science degree at UWC.
The winners of the Nature to Nurture photography exhibition. From left is Talia Naicker, judge from Zeitz MOCAA, the Reserve’s Laurenda van Breda. Winners: Nurah Samsodien and Nakita Clarke, Reserve head, Minnelise Levendal, and photo competition judge from the Agriculture Research Council, Clement Cupido. 
Face to Face with a Bee, Nurah Samsodien. Winner of the UWC Nature Photography Competition. 
Camouflaged in Chaos (Nurah Samsodien) 
Nature’s Live Wire (Nurah Samsodien) 
All the winners of the UWC Zeitz MOCAA Nature to Nurture photography exhibition. Credit: Supplied
The UWC Nature Reserve Unit launched its first ever Nature Photography competition in 2024, said Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (MOCAA) spokesperson, Talia Naicker.
“This collaboration between the UWC Cape Flats Nature Reserve Unit and the Zeitz MOCAA BMW Centre for Art Education was conceived out of a shared love for education as a tool for accessibility.
“Although the Nature Reserve focuses on biodiversity and the Zeitz MOCAA focuses on art, the concept of conservation and sustainability is a shared pillar of both of our institutions, both of which are realised through education. The competition aimed to emphasise the importance of this ecosystem and its need to be noticed, and cared for.
“The top 24 photographs have been selected to be part of this exhibition, bringing together art, nature and conservation through the power of education,” Naicker said.
Samsodien says she’s always enjoyed practising art and being creative.
“Recently, I got my first camera, and I’ve taken up photography as my next hobby. My interest in photography started when my family and I went on Umrah in 2018. I wanted to document the journey through photos, and since then, I’ve mostly used my phone to take pictures. I took a lot of photos of my cats, and because they’re always outside, I ended up capturing a lot of nature around them too. That made me realise how much I enjoy being outdoors and noticing the beauty of it,” she said.
An email she received from UWC regarding a competition sparked her interest to enter while she was honing her photography skills.
“Since I had recently received a camera, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to test it out without expecting anything to come from it. The top 24 photographs were selected and displayed, and all the photos had to be taken inside the UWC Nature Reserve. It was such a cool experience to be part of something that brought together nature and art,” she said.
Three of Samsodien’s photographs, Camouflaged in Chaos, Face to Face with a Bee and Nature’s Live Wire were included.
“I had three of my photographs included in the exhibition, and one of them ended up winning first place, Face to Face with a Bee, and the crowd favourite award. But the most rewarding part was getting to see pictures that I had taken in an actual art museum that’s something I’ll always look back on with a special feeling. One of the judges mentioned that my winning photo scored 90% across the entire panel, which is what led to it being chosen as the winner,” she explained.
“I’m incredibly grateful to the UWC Nature Reserve team and Zeitz MOCAA for creating such a special opportunity. I also want to thank my parents for always encouraging me to do what I love. I was more than honoured to be part of this experience. I’d also like to acknowledge the passing of Koyo Kouoh on the day of the exhibition, my sincere condolences to her family and the Zeitz MOCAA team,” she says.
Naicker says UWC’s private Cape Flats Nature Reserve stands testament to the preservation of nature and biodiversity.
“Occupying 34 hectares of land, the Cape Flats Nature Reserve is wedged into the University of the Western Cape campus and was declared a National Monument in 1978.
“Offering a unique transition zone between the critically endangered Sand Fynbos and the endangered Dune Strandveld ecosystems, these are some of the last places one can learn about these vegetation types and wetland ecosystems, which are unique to the Cape Peninsula,” she said.
