Event:Wiki Loves Folklore 2026 in Botswana
'Wiki Loves Folklore (WLF) is an international photographic contest, but in 2026 it takes on a special local focus here in Botswana. Photographers, videographers, and audio recorders across the country are invited to contribute media showcasing Botswana’s folk culture to Wikimedia Commons under free licenses. These contributions will be used on Wikipedia and other platforms, ensuring Botswana’s traditions are preserved and shared globally with proper attribution. This Botswana edition of WLF celebrates our intangible cultural heritage, from folk dances like Setapa, Tsutsube, Phathisi, and Borankana, to folk music played on the segaba, to traditional cuisine such as seswaa and bogobe jwa lerotse, and folk wear like leteisi. It also embraces oral traditions or ballads, folktales, fairy tales, legends, praise poetry (maboko), and seasonal customs that define our communities.
Why It Matters for Botswana
The contest is more than photography, it is a catalyst for preserving Botswana’s intangible cultural heritage, in line with the 2003 UNESCO Convention. By capturing and sharing images of our rituals, practices, and traditions, we ensure that Botswana’s cultural identity is documented, celebrated, and transmitted to future generations. Through visual storytelling, Botswana’s communities can raise awareness of the importance of our cultural practices, while engaging citizens in heritage preservation. By showcasing Botswana’s folklore on Wikimedia Commons, we make our traditions accessible and relevant in the modern world.
Botswana’s Contribution to a Global Movement
Since its global launch in 2019 (originally as Wiki Loves Love), Wiki Loves Folklore has grown into a worldwide campaign. Over six years, it has collected 121,512 media files from 168 countries, thanks to 8,337 volunteers. Now, Botswana joins this global movement with its own local edition, ensuring that our folk festivals, dances, music, games, cuisine, clothing, and oral traditions are represented alongside the world’s cultural tapestry.
Celebrate Botswana’s Folklore
Wiki Loves Folklore 2026 in Botswana is your chance to:
- Document local festivals like Dithubaruba and Kuru Dance Festival.
- Capture traditional games played in villages.
- Record seasonal events and calendar customs unique to Botswana.
- Highlight folk arts, crafts, and beadwork.
Join the dashboard here:
Wiki Loves Folklore 2026 in Botswana: Dashboard
Wiki Loves Folklore is a global media contest held annually on Wikimedia Commons, aimed at documenting the diverse folk cultures from around the world. Wiki Loves Folklore 2026 builds on the success of the 2025 campaign, continuing its focus on celebrating folk culture. The initiative traces its roots back to 2018, originating from Wiki Loves Love 2019, which highlighted ceremonies and festivals centered around love.
This media contest celebrates the rich tapestry of folk culture from around the world, featuring categories that include (but are not limited to) folk festivals, dances, music, activities, games, cuisine, clothing, and a wide variety of traditional expressions. These may encompass ballads, folktales, fairy tales, legends, seasonal celebrations, calendar customs, folk arts, folk religion, and mythology. For further inspiration and a broader selection of examples, we invite you to explore our Category page.
1. Capture culture
Photograph or record traditions, rituals, stories, food, dance, music, clothing, crafts, or community heritage.
2. Upload
Submit your work to Wikimedia Commons between
1 February – 31 March 2026.
3. Describe & categorize
Add media description, location, date, and relevant categories.
4. Win prizes
Awards include global and regional prizes for photography, video, and audio.
Campaign Prizes
Global Photography Excellence
- 1st prize: 500 USD
- 2nd prize: 400 USD
- 3rd prize: 300 USD
- Top 10 Noteworthy Contribution Prizes: 50 USD Each
Multimedia Categories
- Best Video: 300 USD
- 2nd Video Prize: 200 USD
- 3rd Video Prize: 150 USD
- Best Audio: 200 USD
- 2nd Audio Prize: 150 USD
- 3rd Audio Prize: 150 USD
Local Prizes
Distinguished Heritage Documenter
- 1st prize: 2000 BWP
- 2nd prize: 1500 BWP
- 3rd prize: 1000 BWP
Outstanding New Contributor
- 1st prize: 300 BWP
- 2nd prize: 250 BWP
- 3rd prize: 200 BWP
- 4th prize: 150 BWP
- 5th prize: 100 BWP
- Certificates Local all local winners.
Regional prizes
Regional prize awarded to the top jury-selected media entries from the following regions.
- MENA - Middle East & North Africa
- SSA - Sub-Saharan Africa
- SA - South Asia
- ESEAP - East, Southeast Asia, & Pacific
- LAC - Latin America & Caribbean
- NA - North America
- NWE - Northern & Western Europe
- CEECA - Central & Eastern Europe & Central Asia
Award per region
- Regional Winner: 125 USD
- Regional Runner-up: 75 USD
(Disclaimer: All Prizes will be distributed only in the form of major brand gift cards or vouchers, equivalent to the local currency amount.)
Timeline
* 1 Feb – 31 Mar 2026 – Upload period
- April – June – Review & jury
- 15 July 2026 – Results announced (expected)
Essential rules
✔ Acceptable:
Your own original photos/videos/audio, free license (CC BY-SA/CC0), with context & metadata.
✘ Not accepted:
Watermarks, AI-generated media, copyrighted content, overly edited images, low-quality uploads, or missing EXIF (if camera supports it).
Full details → Complete Rules Page
Participate locally
Local Wikimedia groups host photowalks, workshops, and national sub-contests.
Find your local group:
Contact us
There are several ways to contact us:
- Write us on discussion page.
- Send us an email to wikiversebotswana@gmail.com
- Communicate with us through Twitter, Facebook or Instagram
There will also be a writing competition Feminism and Folklore 2026 from 1st February 2026 till 31 March 2026. Create or expand articles on feminism, women biographies and gender-focused topics for the project in league with Wiki Loves Folklore gender gap focus with folk culture theme on Wikipedia. Participate now in your local language.