Africa Media Online

Africa Media Online Africans telling Africa's story - an African picture library providing use rights to African images Our powerful search facility makes finding images simple.

Africa Media Online is a South African-based picture library, selling publication and broadcast rights to African photography produced by African photographers and African archives. Over 150 000 African pictures are available online for immediate purchase and download. EMPOWERING AFRICAN PHOTOGRAPHERS
Africa Media Online is an organisation committed to enabling Africans to tell Africa’s story to t

he World. We work exclusively with African photographers and their photographs relating to Africa, declining numerous requests to represent imagery of Africa taken by photographers from other parts of the World, in order to maintain our focus and achieve our aims. MORE THAN 17 YEARS IN BUSINESS
Africa Media Online was started in 2000, representing a single photographer, and has grown to a portal site representing hundreds of photographers, archives and museums from around Africa. OVER 200 000 IMAGES
Our picture library is constantly growing, with new collections being added regularly and new imagery being supplied by existing photographers. Our large database of African pictures means that you have a good chance of finding the image you need. QUALITY
All our photographers are carefully screened before being accepted as suppliers, and images have to comply with our standards. As an organization we have been on the forefront of digitization in South Africa and have an in-depth understanding of digital imaging and global standards in publishing, broadcast media and the archiving world. ECOMMERCE
High-resolution images can be accessed through our website 24/7. Buying use rights and downloading the files is quick and easy thanks to our ecommerce system. PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ARCHIVES
The photographs in our picture library are supplied by over 300 photographers, photographic libraries, archives and museums around Africa. Africa Media Online represents historical collections such as the Bailey's African History Archives and Iziko Museums, master photographers such as David Goldblatt and Graeme Williams, photographic libraries like Africa Imagery and Art Publishers and African archives including those of Mo Amin and the A24 Media collection. CLIENTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
Over the years we have supplied images to many of the World’s major publishers, as well as to film producers, ad agencies, NGO's, governments and corporates. Clients include: Amnesty International, BBC, Cambridge University Press, Ford Foundation, Guardian News & Media Ltd, Media24, National Geographic Society, Nelson Mandela Foundation, Oxford University Press, Pan Macmillan, Pearson Education, Penguin Books, South African Government, TBWA Hunt lascaris, TIME Magazine, United Nations. LICENSES
Our images are sold on a Rights Managed basis with rates that are fair to image buyers as well as the African image suppliers. We are committed to the principles embodied by the Fair Trade movement. BASED IN SOUTH AFRICA
Africa Media Online is based in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa, with ties to suppliers in close to 40 countries around Africa. REFERENCES
“As an editor constantly looking for images to illustrate stories about a wide range of topics I find myself returning again and again to Africa Media Online’s extensive library. For fresh, edgy pictures suitable for a South African publication they can’t be beaten.”
Shelagh McLoughlin: Features Editor, The Witness

“Thanks for such an efficient stock library service – I love using AMO as its so quick and easy! Definitely easier to use than some of the overseas libraries.”
Jenni Bowden, Cambridge University Press

“African Media Online is extremely user friendly and has a extensive selection of images with a focus on African content. The photo library is easy to navigate and the staff at AMO are always extremely friendly and respond quickly to all requests.”
Kim Mccarthy: Managing Designer, Heinemann Publishers

“I was at the Cornelsen publisher in berlin today giving a seminar – and they mentioned your agency for the fine images and service.”
Alexander Karst: Die Bildbeschaffer GmbH
“Brilliant, very impressed with the speed of your service.”
Carol Abbott: Pearson Education

“Thanks for the continued support you’ve given us and the excellent variety of photos you provide, which seems to expand exponentially every year. Your photos have helped to ensure that our brand remains unique in the space we occupy.”
Sherry Kennedy: African Trade Insurance Agency. Africa Media Online is based in South Africa and is Black Owned and BEE compliant.

AM Quartex Interactive FeaturesJoin us on Friday to learn how Quartex customers have built their sites in a way that ach...
04/12/2024

AM Quartex Interactive Features

Join us on Friday to learn how Quartex customers have built their sites in a way that achieves their goals for engagement, with a focus on some of the exciting content items that feature on the public side of AM Quartex sites. Sign up here: https://forms.zohopublic.com/africamediaonline/form/AMQuartexWebinarFriday6December1011am/formperma/hmqBAUf8uXdd3-2CUmNhF7FCk_Vvo7Rrt40_7cCPQ30

This is the last of our series of free webinars on AM Quartex, a system we think is great for displaying the content of libraries and archives.

In January 2022, a fire severely damaged Cape Town's historic parliamentary complex, impacting the National Assembly and...
22/11/2024

In January 2022, a fire severely damaged Cape Town's historic parliamentary complex, impacting the National Assembly and Old Assembly Wing. The blaze destroyed artefacts and raised concerns about security and historical preservation. A suspect was arrested as authorities investigated the fire’s cause.

Fire damage destroyed parts of the National Assembly’s interior, consuming documents, artwork, and historical items. Water used to extinguish the blaze affected the lower levels of the building, which housed valuable archives and records.

The fire which took almost 48 hours to control caused R2.1 billion in damage and destroyed an unknown number of irreplaceable documents and historical items.

It took a further two years for all the historical items to be removed from the building, much of it was damaged by water that was used in putting out the fire.

But there seemed to be some hope... in a project 5 years before, some of the archive was supposed to have been digitised.
However, upon inspection much of the digitisation was done so poorly the documents were indecipherable

Some lessons from the tragedy:

- The fire could not have been predicted, it was an act of arson.

Takeaway: As institutions and organisations with irreplaceable collections we need to plan for the unthinkable eventuality.

- The archives were digitised, but many of the documents were indecipherable

Takeaway: digitisation for preservation has to be done at verifiable quality in line with international standards to ensure that documents are preserved at the original quality. Service providers for the digitisation of public collections must have a proven track record to be selected to perform the work in the first place and be required to provide proven conformance to standards on at least a weekly basis to the host institution.

Creating the world’s largest image file – digitisation of the Murten Panorama"Painted in 1893 by German artist Louis Bra...
01/11/2024

Creating the world’s largest image file – digitisation of the Murten Panorama

"Painted in 1893 by German artist Louis Braun, the Murten Panorama has long been hidden from public view. After its initial display from 1894 to 1909, and a rare appearance at the Swiss National Exposition in 2002, this historic painting remained rolled up in a Swiss Alps bunker.

A team from the École Polytechnique Fédérale De Lausanne (EPFL), under the leadership of Prof. Sarah Kenderdine, undertook the mammoth task of digitising the entire 1000m2 painting at 1,000ppi, producing the largest digital image of a single object ever produced (1,600 Gigapixel). Since its relocation from storage in June 2022, the project has been over two years in the making, showcasing the immense time, dedication, and effort needed to overcome the challenges and complexities involved in achieving this remarkable feat. " - Phase One

Read the full blog: https://www.phaseone.com/2024/10/21/creating-the-worlds-largest-image-file-digitization-of-the-murten-panorama

The University of the Free State (UFS) recently invested in preserving its archival holdings and the special collectio...
23/10/2024

The University of the Free State (UFS) recently invested in preserving its archival holdings and the special collections in its libraries.

They acquired Africa's first 150 Megapixel digitisation device, the Phase One iXH 150 MP, along with Capture One CH software designed for cultural heritage preservation.

This solution digitises materials to meet FADGI, Metamorfoze and ISO standards while handling fragile items gently and efficiently. UFS' investment ensures future generations will be able to access its irreplaceable collections in both digital and physical form.

AMO is the official Phase One Cultural Heritage representative in Africa

Contact us to learn how Phase One digitisation solutions can enable high quality and high throughput digitisation of your archive, library, museum or gallery.

The University of the Free State is taking Preserving their Collections SeriouslyThe University of the Free State (UFS)...
17/10/2024

The University of the Free State is taking Preserving their Collections Seriously

The University of the Free State (UFS) recently invested in preserving their archives and special collections

They acquired Africa's first 150 Megapixel digitisation solution, including two Phase One iXH 150MP reprographic cameras and the Phase One XF 150MP medium-format camera for 3D object digitisation.

This investment enables UFS to comfortably meet the FADGI, Metamorfoze, and ISO international digitisation standards while handling fragile heritage items gently. It guarantees future generations access to UFS' collections in digital and physical forms.

With this technology, UFS can digitise 2D and 3D materials, from oversized maps to museum objects, positioning itself on the cutting edge of preservation digital imaging.

AMO is the official Phase One Cultural Heritage representative in Africa

Contact us to learn how Phase One digitisation solutions can enable high quality and high throughput digitisation of your archive, library, museum or gallery.

Tomorrow! Securing your CollectionsAnyone who has attended a digital or heritage collections conference in 2024 is sure ...
17/10/2024

Tomorrow! Securing your Collections
Anyone who has attended a digital or heritage collections conference in 2024 is sure to have heard the term ‘Security’ in many a paper and panel discussion. Competing perhaps only with ‘AI’ for buzzword of the year in this sector, a growing focus on security features continues to dominate platform selection criteria and conversation. At Quartex, security considerations underpin our entire development strategy so, if you’d like to learn more about security policies and features built into the Quartex platform, be sure to register for our next webinar: Securing your Collections with AM Quartex.

In this webinar Rebecca Lynd will focus on security tools and considerations when working with the Quartex DAMS and CMS, covering everything from role-based access controls, multi-user protection, and data controls to end-user access restrictions. In showing how existing customers are making use of these features, registrants will gain a clearer understanding of the common security concerns when moving archival collections online and of how Quartex can help to keep collections and data secure.

Sign Up Here:
https://forms.zohopublic.com/africamediaonline/form/AMQuartexWebinarFriday18October1011am/formperma/XLPWOXbaSYuPMAnSKYb4nEg0a7JgASuJw53Aivc059A

Case Study #1 – UCT Library Firelessons from a devastating tragedy to African scholarshipOn Sunday, April 18, 2021, a f...
11/10/2024

Case Study #1 – UCT Library Fire
lessons from a devastating tragedy to African scholarship

On Sunday, April 18, 2021, a fire, driven by strong winds in the Table Mountain National Park, ignited dry ivy growing on the sides of the Jagger Library Reading Room and dry leaves in the roof gutters at the University of Cape Town (UCT) Upper Campus. The Jagger Library housed the irreplaceable special collections of the University and was situated at the heart of the UCT campus. It seemed unimaginable that a fire from Table Mountain could reach this building.

Yet, it did.

The fire completely destroyed 66,264 volumes from the African Studies Library, 6,020 items from the Rare Books collection, 43,040 publications from the Government Publications collection, and the entire African Films collection. The scale of the loss was devastating.

However, there is a silver lining. Some records had been preserved through digitisation efforts prior to the UCT fire, proving the importance of digital archiving for safeguarding irreplaceable historical materials. In response to the fire, UCT Libraries launched an impressive recovery effort, supported by donations from around the world, to restore surviving materials. This includes 69,279 volumes from the African Studies Library, 19,879 books from the Rare Books collection, and 3,723 government publications.

Some lessons from the tragedy:


The UCT fire highlighted several critical lessons for institutions that hold irreplaceable collections, especially concerning the importance of digitisation and digital archiving. Here’s what can be learned from this tragedy:

Unforeseen Disasters: Given the Jagger Library’s location, it was hard to imagine how the fire could have been anticipated.
– Takeaway: Institutions must plan for the unthinkable, developing strategies to protect against unexpected events, like the UCT fire.

Processing and Digitisation: Much of the material lost in the fire was being processed, with some items in line for digitisation.
– Takeaway: Speedy processing and prioritizing digitisation of special collections should be key management objectives to protect valuable materials.

Loss of Institutional Memory: A significant loss was the administrative records detailing what was in the collections and information about donors. This created a monumental challenge in the recovery process.
– Takeaway: It’s crucial to digitise not just the collections, but also all metadata and records related to the collections to avoid gaps in institutional memory.

Securing Resources for Digitisation: While significant resources have been mobilized for the restoration and digitisation of surviving records, the cost of recovery far exceeds preventive efforts.
– Takeaway: Institutions should emphasize to management, funders, and donors that securing resources for digitisation ahead of time is far more cost-effective and can mitigate irreplaceable loss.

[More information on the UCT Jagger Library Fire can be found: – https://lib.uct.ac.za/jagger-recovery and – https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/africa-bibliography-research-and-documentation/article/what-we-lost-in-the-jagger-library-fire/A6A5082E3A663405649925ED23B88C82?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=bookmark

We enable Africans to tell Africa's story by operating a digital trade route to get your media collections to your audie...
16/08/2024

We enable Africans to tell Africa's story by operating a digital trade route to get your media collections to your audience, from digitising physical documents and museum objects to displaying your digital archive to the public, we manage all the facets of the digital preservation and access process.
https://africamediaonline.com/

- Digitisation
We have digitised a number of Africa's most significant archives using our world-class equipment to capture millions of document pages, photographs, museum objects, paintings and other media.
- Digital archiving
Once we digitise your archive we gather all the content into a digital archive with associated metadata to make every single asset findable.
- Preservatio
To facilitate the best archive for your needs we have partnered with some of the world's leading digital archiving systems to provide you with the perfect system for your needs.
- Picture Library
While most of our clients prefer to have their own independent digital archive we also have our own digital archive where we license images from our clients and from photographers around Africa to publishing and broadcast markets.
- Equipment Supply
Africa Media Online is the official representative for Phase One Cultural Heritage for all of Africa outside of Egypt.

Tomorrow we will be hosting our 4th of 6 FREE webinars. Sign up here:https://forms.zohopublic.com/africamediaonline/form...
15/08/2024

Tomorrow we will be hosting our 4th of 6 FREE webinars.

Sign up here:
https://forms.zohopublic.com/africamediaonline/form/AMQuartexWebinarFriday16August1011am/formperma/j8-rGxR15UBb_iZz4IEIp4ZQO1RVw5bQEiNsNrkABsU

Want to make the most of your metadata, either to boost engagement with your collections, enable more efficient browsing or guide end-users to explore relationships they may not know to look for? Then register for our latest webinar: Enhance Discovery with Dynamic Metadata in AM Quartex

In a traditional archival setting, descriptive metadata is rarely more than discursive, providing a crucial but limited function in recording key, contextual information about an archival object. When migrated to an online environment, however, metadata has the potential to go several steps further, providing administrators with opportunities to highlight and represent relationships between digitised materials, steer user pathways through content and ensure interoperability with other systems.

In this Rebecca Lynd will explore how the migration of assets and their associated descriptive metadata onto the Quartex platform offers all institutions an opportunity to elevate search and discovery of archival collections. In looking at existing Quartex customer examples, Rebecca will demonstrate how a range of institutions are already utilizing Quartex's many metadata features to enhance search and discovery of their collections. In dipping into the administrative interface, Rebecca will also reveal how this is practically achieved from ingest of legacy data through to the transformation of metadata in the Digital Asset Management System (DAMS) to dynamic front-end display.

Want to make the most of your metadata, either to boost engagement with your archival collections, enable more efficient...
06/08/2024

Want to make the most of your metadata, either to boost engagement with your archival collections, enable more efficient browsing or guide end-users to explore relationships they may not know to look for? Then register for our latest webinar: Enhance Discovery with Dynamic Metadata in AM Quartex

In a traditional archival setting, descriptive metadata is rarely more than discursive, providing a crucial but limited function in recording key, contextual information about an archival object. When migrated to an online environment, however, metadata has the potential to go several steps further, providing administrators with opportunities to highlight and represent relationships between digitised materials, steer user pathways through content and ensure interoperability with other systems.

In this webinar Rebecca Lynd will explore how the migration of assets and their associated descriptive metadata onto the Quartex platform offers all institutions an opportunity to elevate search and discovery of archival collections. In looking at existing Quartex customer examples, Rebecca will demonstrate how a range of institutions are already utilizing Quartex's many metadata features to enhance search and discovery of their digitised collections. In dipping into the administrative interface, Rebecca will also reveal how this is practically achieved from ingest of legacy data through to the transformation of metadata in the Digital Asset Management System (DAMS) to dynamic front-end display.

Sign Up Here:
https://forms.zohopublic.com/africamediaonline/form/AMQuartexWebinarFriday16August1011am/formperma/j8-rGxR15UBb_iZz4IEIp4ZQO1RVw5bQEiNsNrkABsU

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Africa Media Online (Pty) Ltd, Block D, Hilltops Office Park, 73 Villiers Drive, Clarendon
Pietermaritzburg

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 - 16:30
Tuesday 08:00 - 04:30
Wednesday 08:00 - 04:30
Thursday 08:00 - 04:30
Friday 08:00 - 04:30

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