Salym Fayad is a documentary photographer and independent reporter from Bogotá, Colombia based in Johannesburg, South Africa. He has worked extensively in Sub-Saharan Africa on issues related to popular culture and music, migration, conflict, and human rights.
His work has featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Guardian, Boston Review, El Tiempo, Semana, Arcadia, El Malpensante, Gatopardo, Sunday Times, National Geographic, Mail & Guardian, Libération, among others, and has contributed to Agence France Presse (AFP) and European Pressphoto Agency (EPA). His work has been exhibited in cities like New York, Berlin, Helsinki, Perpignan, Bogota, Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, and Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo.
He currently works on collaborative projects on the Somali diaspora in Johannesburg and on justice and gender violence in Eastern Congo. He has also worked in the management of cultural exchange projects related to music and film between Colombia and South Africa.
In the heart of the Sahara Desert in Southern Algeria, the FiSahara Human Rights Film Festival celebrated its 18th edition in 2024. Set in the Sahrawi refugee camps, it transforms a remote and challenging environment into a platform for cultural resilience and human rights advocacy.
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