SPOILED has won a Silver Award at the International Tourism Film Festival Africa for its powerful storytelling about ocean conservation.
South Africa (10 June 2026) – Some of the most important stories are not told in boardrooms or on grand stages. They are told on windswept beaches before sunrise. On fishing boats returning to shore. In conversations between neighbours whose lives are deeply connected to the rhythm of the sea.
These are the stories at the heart of SPOILED, a South African documentary that has just earned international recognition for shining a light on the people working to protect the country’s oceans and coastal communities.
The film recently received a Silver Award in the Conservation category at the International Tourism Film Festival Africa Awards 2026, an honour that recognises outstanding storytelling within the conservation sector.
But for the organisations behind the documentary, including WILDTRUST, The Green Connection and production company Love Africa Marketing, the recognition is about far more than an award. It is about the people whose voices fill the film.
Launched in July 2025, SPOILED follows coastal communities, traditional fishers, activists and scientists whose lives are closely intertwined with the ocean. Through their stories, viewers are taken from the rugged coastline of the Northern Cape to vibrant communities along the Eastern Cape, discovering the deep connection many South Africans share with the sea.
“It is a story of hope,” says Lauren van Nijkerk, WILDTRUST’s Campaigns Director. “SPOILED is a tribute to the everyday heroes who are defending their livelihoods, their heritage and the sea itself.”
Throughout the documentary, audiences meet individuals who have dedicated themselves to understanding, protecting and advocating for the marine environments that sustain their communities.
Among them is veteran fisher and community leader Walter Steenkamp, Chairperson of the Awkotuwa Fishers Cooperative, whose knowledge of the Northern Cape coastline has been shaped by a lifetime spent on the water.
“The ocean is our livelihood, our heritage and our future,” says Steenkamp. “For fishers like us, protecting the sea is not a choice – it is a responsibility.”
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“If our oceans are spoiled, entire communities will suffer,” she says. “Young people must take ownership of their future, their coastline and the sustainability of their communities.”
What makes SPOILED particularly powerful is its reminder that conservation is not only the work of scientists and environmental organisations. It is also carried forward by ordinary people who care deeply about the places they call home.
Whether they are fishers safeguarding generations of knowledge, community leaders speaking up for their neighbours or young activists encouraging others to get involved, each person featured in the documentary demonstrates that meaningful change often begins at the local level.
As Environment Month encourages people around the world to reflect on their relationship with the natural world, this international recognition offers something worth celebrating closer to home.
Not only has a South African documentary been honoured on the global stage, but so too have the communities, stories and voices at its heart. While awards recognise excellence, the true achievement of SPOILED lies in its ability to remind us that our oceans are more than vast stretches of water.
Members of the public who want more information on how to support ongoing ocean protection initiatives, contact: [email protected].
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