After capturing the hearts of the judges with her quietly powerful practice, Botswana-based artist Naledi Maifala has been unveiled as this year’s winner of the ANNA Award.
WORDS Gina Dionisio PHOTOS Supplied
The ANNA Award celebrates, recognises, and nurtures upcoming women artists in Africa and the diaspora, and for this year’s judging panel, Naledi Maifala’s work stood out as a testament to the quiet power of observation, a practice anchored in solitude and a deep attentiveness to the everyday.
They felt that by deliberately avoiding overt political commentary, she subverts the expectation that her work must carry the weight of historical struggle. They saw in her art a radical act of self-possession: a claiming of space for personal experience that resists the pressure to centre her identity as a black woman, or to place herself at the heart of the narrative. Instead, they were moved by how she finds profound meaning in the fleeting and the ordinary, making the small moments resound with quiet depth.
The poetic line ‘Just as petals fall, life too fades’ guides her practice. “My work is about solitude and being alert to myself,” she says. “Even though contentment is internal, I believe there are external things – people, animals, places – that influence it.”
While Naledi’s surroundings in Botswana play a central role in her work, she’s also keenly aware of the challenges that come with working in a country where the art ecosystem is still developing.
“There aren’t that many spaces where artists can reliably exhibit or sell work,” she says. “But things are growing. And platforms like the ANNA Award help us to reach beyond our borders.”
Her win comes with a financial prize of R100 000 from ANNA, a SAFFCA residency, a solo presentation at the 2026 RMB Latitudes Art Fair, a dedicated profile on Latitudes Online, and a year’s supply of ANNA products. She is particularly excited about her residency. “I want to learn. I want to be around new people, see new landscapes. My conversations with others – those are what feed my practice. So, being in a new place? That’s going to be huge.”
For Naledi, the recognition is both personal and professional. “It confirmed that there are people out there who relate to what I’m trying to say,” she reflects. “It’s also a moment to show other artists here in Botswana that it’s possible. That our voices matter – not just locally, but beyond.”
More than anything, Naledi’s sees the win as an invitation to keep going. “This award is about originality, imagination, and dedication. And those are the very things I try to hold onto every day in my practice.”
ANNA Award 2025 Runners-up
The Selection Committee was so moved by the exceptional quality of the entries that they felt it was vital to recognise the outstanding work of our runners-up. Reem Aljeally from Sudan, took second place while Fetlework Tadesse from Ethiopia took third place in this year’s awards.
Furthermore, over 1200 members of the public voted and deemed Azola Kingston the 2025 recipient of the ANNA Audience Award. | latitudes.online
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