When the Night Sky Danced: Witnessing the Aurora Australis from Africa

Standing on the shores of the Western Cape, camera in hand, I watched in awe as the night sky came alive with dancing ribbons of pink and red light. The aurora australis, or Southern Lights, is something I had always dreamed of capturing, but never did I think I would witness it from the African continent. And yet, during the peak of the solar maximum in 2024-2025, I found myself staring up at this incredible phenomenon, completely mesmerized.

A Rare Opportunity

Normally, the aurora australis is reserved for the remote southern latitudes—Antarctica, Tasmania, New Zealand. But thanks to increased solar activity during this solar maximum, the light show extended far beyond its usual range, reaching places like Gansbaai, Simon’s Town, and even parts of the Overberg. When I first heard reports of the aurora being visible in South Africa, I didn’t hesitate. I packed up my gear and drove for 3 hours to the southern most point in Africa, Cape Agulhas, hoping I’d be lucky enough to witness it myself.

Capturing the Magic

Seeing the Southern Lights with my own eyes was surreal. It wasn’t just the colors that struck me, but the movement—the way the sky seemed to ripple and shift as if the universe itself was painting on a cosmic canvas. I had my camera ready, settings dialed in: a wide aperture (f/2.8), an ISO between 1600-3200, and exposure times ranging from 10-20 seconds. Each frame captured something different—a burst of intense colors, streaks in the sky, a faint red glow stretching across the horizon.

Unlike the Milky Way or even a meteor shower, photographing the aurora comes with an added challenge: it’s unpredictable. It flares up, fades, shifts position, and sometimes disappears entirely before coming back stronger than before. But that unpredictability is what makes it so special. Each shot felt like a gift, a fleeting moment of magic that I was fortunate enough to freeze in time.

Standing in the Glow

As I stood there, surrounded by the silence of the African wilderness, I couldn’t help but feel incredibly small yet deeply connected to the vastness of our universe. I had spent years chasing light—sunrises over mountain peaks, the golden glow of an African sunset, the soft shimmer of the Milky Way—but this was something else entirely. The aurora australis wasn’t just another subject to photograph; it was a reminder of how dynamic and alive our planet is, how forces beyond our comprehension shape the beauty we get to witness.

A Moment to Remember

I’ve photographed many incredible scenes in my life, but this night will always stand out as one of the most unforgettable. Seeing the Southern Lights from the African continent felt like witnessing something truly once-in-a-lifetime. It reminded me why I do what I do—why I chase these fleeting moments of beauty, why I stay up all night in the freezing cold, why I keep coming back for more.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a photographer, it’s that nature always finds a way to surprise us. And when it does, all we can do is stand in awe, capture what we can, and simply be grateful for the experience.