People filled the streets of Sandton City in Johannesburg on Sunday for Africa’s oldest Pride event, marking 36 years of protest, courage and celebration.
Under the theme “Purely, Queerly, African,” this year’s Joburg Pride march reclaimed space and culture, declaring that being African and being queer are inseparable parts of identity.
The parade, a mix of music, placards and African prints, stretched through Sandton, where rainbow flags flew beside traditional Zulu and Xhosa attire.
For many, it was both a celebration and a statement against those questioning queer people’s right to wear cultural dress.
Launched in 1990, before South Africa became a democracy, Johannesburg Pride has grown from an act of defiance under apartheid into a continental movement for equality.
Ricardo poses with pride flag coloured wings during Johannesburg pride in Sandton. (Photo by Zinyange Auntony / AFP)Participants take part in the Johannesburg Pride March. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)Dr. Lethuxolo Shange poses for a portrait dressed in traditional Xhosa beads forming colours of the pride flag. (Photo by Zinyange Auntony / AFP)Participants take part in the Johannesburg Pride March during Pride Month 2025. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)Pride attendees take a selfie during Johannesburg pride. (Photo by Zinyange Auntony / AFP)A group of protesters hold placards during the Johannesburg Pride March. The demonstration took place within the Pride of Africa event, with participants expressing pro-Palestine and anti-capitalist messages. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)A Pride attendee poses for a photograph. (Photo by Zinyange Auntony / AFP)Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero attends the Johannesburg Pride March. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)Pride attendees dressed in Zulu traditional regalia photographed during Johannesburg Pride. (Photo by Zinyange Auntony / AFP)Participants take part in the Johannesburg Pride March. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)Participants take part in the Johannesburg Pride March. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)South African actor and comedian Sivuyile Ngesi attends the Johannesburg Pride March. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)Participants take part in the Johannesburg Pride March. (Photo by Gallo Images/Alet Pretorius)
