Charmaine Chitate, a Zimbabwean documentary photographer, has spent years crafting stories that examine identity in the context of climate change, food security, health, and livelihoods. Her lens offers a nuanced, human-centered view of underrepresented communities—particularly in Africa—often left out of global conversations.

Her groundbreaking work has now received international recognition: Chitate was awarded 3rd Prize in the prestigious Getty Images Creative Grant, a $20,000 initiative that spotlights global storytellers reshaping the narrative around disability representation. The program—developed in partnership with the National Disability Leadership Alliance (NDLA)—builds on The Disability Collection, an initiative launched in 2018 to promote authentic portrayals of people with disabilities in media.

Since launching its wider grants program in 2004, Getty Images has awarded over US $2.6 million to photographers and filmmakers worldwide. Chitate’s latest recognition underscores her commitment to telling stories that matter—visually and viscerally.

In this exclusive interview with My Afrika Magazine, Charmaine reflects on her creative journey, the role of identity in her work, and what it means to tell stories that transcend barriers.

MAM: What pushed you to enter into the Getty Images contest?

CC: I have always been interested in alternative and empowering narratives. Throughout my career, I placed Getty Images as a pedestal I needed to amplify visual perspectives I had access to and kept an eye out for their opportunities. I was hooked when a colleague, Musa Bwanali, shared the contest details in the Zimbabwe Association of Female Photographers (ZAFP) internal networking platform. I was interested because the Getty Images VisualGPS brought to the fore some of the gaps I wanted to address. I had been working with a couple of organisations that advocate for inclusive access to education, health services, and work opportunities for people with disabilities, and I wanted to do more.

MAM: Winning the 3rd prize, great achievement, how do you feel and see this propelling your career?

CC: Winning at all is an achievement to be celebrated. At best, I was hoping to be shortlisted – even that would have been great—but looking at this win, I have to acknowledge those who have influenced the portfolio I submitted to Getty Images. Through workshops facilitated by the ZAFP, African Women in Photography, Market Photo Workshop, and the VII Foundation, I have become more deliberate about how I create and present my work to platforms like Getty Images and Shutterstock. Through their direction, I continue to be challenged and push myself to share the best results.

MAM: Any other projects you are working on?

CC: Firstly, I am in the early stages of creating a body of work for ‘unaltered.unfiltered,’ and I am looking forward to learning from the experiences of people with disabilities. I started knocking on a few doors, and I hope that we get to create beautiful work together. Secondly, following portfolio reviews with the Market Photo Workshop and the VII Foundation, I am working on building my experience in narrative documentary photography, and some pictures from one of these projects were shared with Getty Images (and you/MyAfrikaMag).

MAM: What words of encouragement would you give to other aspiring female photographers?

CC: I have had the opportunity to meet many awe-inspiring photographers from the continent. I would like to encourage them to embrace opportunities like these with both hands. In every opportunity to learn from others, there is an opportunity to earn from that skill as your career progresses. To female photographers, I want to share that I’ve found a lot of strength from the technical guidance given by peers through platforms like the AwP and the ZAFP. In these networks, you get access to training, grants, and consultancy opportunities you wouldn’t previously have had access to. Lastly, DON’T GIVE UP! Failure is just an opportunity to restrategise and try again.