We are honoured to invite you to an intimate afternoon celebrating one of Africa’s most extraordinary new photographic and narrative works: The Rift: Scar of Africa by acclaimed photographer and author Shem Compion. This exclusive gathering brings together lovers of photography, conservation and meaningful storytelling for an afternoon shaped by fine wine, thoughtful conversation and imagery that stays with you long after you have seen it.
- Location: Wits Origin Centre in Johannesburg
- Date: Saturday, 29 November 2025
- Time: 14:00 to 16:30
With attendance limited to 80 guests and secure parking available, the event offers a rare opportunity to engage directly with Shem as he shares the creative, scientific and deeply human journey behind the making of this landmark book.
A glimpse into Shem Compion’s introduction to The Rift
In The Rift: Scar of Africa, Shem opens with a reminder that humanity’s greatest stories do not always begin with people. Sometimes they begin with the land itself. He describes the Rift Valley as a force 25 million years in the making, a geographical upheaval that split Africa apart, reshaped ecosystems and gave rise to the richest mammal abundance on Earth. What began as violent tectonic movement evolved into one of the most biologically and culturally significant landscapes on the planet, a place where early hominids first walked, where cultures flourished and where the imprint of our origins remains visible in the earth today.
Shem traces his own connection to the Rift through three generations of family history, before recounting the moment at the age of 26 when he first stood above Nakuru and watched thousands of flamingos colour the lake pink. That single scene sparked a fascination that would carry him across the vast length of the Rift for decades, photographing, researching and listening deeply to the people, scientists and landscapes that give the Rift its incomparable soul.
His introduction moves between geology, anthropology, personal experience and cultural memory. He speaks of climbing active volcanoes, learning from paleoanthropologists, witnessing the Great Migration across ash-rich plains and spending time with communities such as the Samburu, Gabbra, Rendille and Turkana. These are people whose resilience and traditions remain intricately tied to this land. It was in these encounters, he reveals, that the true heartbeat of the Rift emerged: a place both fragile and fierce, ancient and alive, shaped by countless stories still unfolding.
Shem reminds us that the Rift is not a relic of the past. It is still shifting, still influencing climate, culture and community, and still under pressure. Biodiversity loss, climate change and modern development weigh heavily on many of the landscapes and people who call the Rift home. Yet, as he notes, there is power in imagery. Photography has reshaped history before, and this book aims to shine a similar light on Africa’s great geological scar, a call to awe, understanding and action.
A celebration of storytellers, explorers and our shared origins
Guests will be welcomed with complimentary wine and canapés, setting the tone for a warm and thoughtful gathering. Because this is an invitation-only event, we kindly ask that you confirm your attendance using the RSVP link provided.
We look forward to sharing this special launch with you, an afternoon honouring the Rift’s landscapes, its people, its extraordinary natural history and the many stories still waiting to be told.
