Striking photography from the top of mountains, down in the plains and breathtaking overviews from the helicopter’s vantage point, Scott Ramsay has captured the soul of Africa in his latest book “Spirit of Africa”.
South Africa (03 March 2025) – Photojournalist Scott Ramsay has traveled to some of Africa’s most breathtaking wild spaces to capture nature’s truest beauty, from landscapes to the varied wild creatures that roam this continent. And today, on World Wildlife Day, we share our thoughts on his new book Spirit of Africa.
“Spirit of Africa” is a stunning coffee table book that highlights some of Scott’s greatest adventures. But more than just photos, it pays homage to slowing down, to tapping back into nature, and to reconnecting with the wild world.
“The East has its temples, the West its cathedrals, but Africa has its wilderness. It is the homeland of our species and the birthplace of the human spirit.
My life has become a series of journeys into wild Africa, a way to get closer to the heart of Nature, and a way to get closer to my own heart.” – Scott Ramsay
Within the book’s covers, Scott shares over 100 of his most prized photographs. He captures the joy of tiny lizards, huge elephants, vast rivers, rainforests, majestic gorillas, and people from throughout Africa. Some of them are the ancestors of the first men, the bushmen who roamed Africa.
Not only are there photos, but Scott shares his experiences and insights from each country he has travelled to. He goes into incredible detail, using knowledge gained over 20 years and sharing stories of some of the most incredible humans he has met along the way.
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Over his travels, Scott has traveled through the Republic of Congo, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Rwanda and South Africa, which he calls home.
One of the things any person who falls in love with Africa’s natural spaces learns is just how vital it is to protect these spaces and the species that live there, too. A big part of Scott’s work is to highlight the animals that are facing great threats. A section of the book is dedicated to species facing the threat of extinction. He beautifully captures the Pangolin and its plight against poaching. The African Honey Bee is another incredible feature; and what of the rhino? Both the Black and White species face constant poaching threats, and each shines within these pages.
A portion of the sale of this book is even dedicated to the Endangered Wildlife Trust, which supports the care of endangered wildlife.
Towards the end of the book, Scott takes a moment to honour every single ranger he has met who works tirelessly to protect wildlife and wild spaces. Over 100 men and women are pictured. It’s incredibly heartwarming to see these brave humans honoured for what they do.
These are the last wild spaces in Africa, and they are a gift. Seeing them compiled into a beautiful book is enough to make one want to book a trip and run away to the bush. But even if you can’t get to the bush, the book helps you slow down for a moment, listen to the birdsong outside, and watch the soft breeze through the rain-dampened trees as they shake off the showers.
It most definitely captured the Spirit of Africa!
Back of the Book
Spirit of Africa by Scott Ramsay takes you on an immersive journey to many of the continent’s last remaining wild places. The book includes more than 100 powerful images of stunning landscapes, teeming wildlife and beautiful people.
It is not just a collection of photographs. There are more than 30,000 words of evocative, sometimes poignant, personal anecdotes and hard-hitting conservation stories, reflecting Scott’s deep connection with nature.
“I have spent almost 20 years photographing and writing about the last wild places in Africa. I am privileged to have photographed so many wondrous scenes and so many beautiful people. I am totally in love with wild Africa. She has been the greatest inspiration in my life, and the people who protect Africa’s last wild places have my utmost respect.”
If you would like to learn more about this book, visit its website here. It is also available at all major literary retailers and online.
Interested in more proudly South African books? You can find more of our book reviews here.
Sources: Book Supplied for Review
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