The Durban Amateur Photographic Society was founded on 19 August 1921 and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2021. During the second half of the 1920’s the club changed its name to Durban Camera Club and it has been that way ever since. Click here to read the history of the club and its memorable members. In 1996, Durban hosted the PSSA national congress, and in the Congress Program it provided an overview of its history and the role of other Kwa-Zulu Natal clubs. Click here. The club president (in 2025) is Sandy van Heerden and vice president is Andrew de Beer. For more information visit their website.

The Krugersdorp Camera Club was founded in 1930 and has been active ever since. Records show that the club existed as early as 1931. A photograph was entered in a competition during 1931 under the name of Mr. Cecil Coath … winning him the first prize! Read more about this prominent club and its members here. Visit their website here. The president for 2025/26 is Piet Sparks and vice president Heepko van Kaam – see the current committee members here.

Midlens Photo Club is an amateur photography club in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, which is one of the oldest photography clubs in South Africa. The aim of the club is to promote photographic interest within our community and provide a place for everyone with an interest in photography to meet and exchange ideas and share experiences. See more on their website and Facebook page.

Founded in l932, the Pretoria Photographic Society (PPS) is one of the longest surviving photographic clubs in South Africa. The society was formed by interested photographers as a means of getting together in congenial circumstances to discuss their hobby and learn from each other. Read more about the society, its milestones and memorable members here.

One of the longest surviving clubs, Maritzburg Camera Club (MCC), is based in the beautiful valley of Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal. Their mission is to create a place of sharing and exploring of all aspects of photography. All beginners, novices, intermediate and advanced photographers welcome! Find more information about the club here including about “challenges” in which members can compete against other clubs. Read about the current committee here. The current (2025) chairperson is Corné Appel.

 Commonly known as CCJ, the Camera Club of Johannesburg has a rich history, to which many talented and exceptional members contributed. One of the oldest photographic clubs in South Africa and the longest surviving Johannesburg club, its founding statement “to foster pictorial photography in a club where originality was not stifled by conventional judging” set it apart from other clubs from the start. Michael Meyersfield’s MA dissertation, “Situating the Camera Club of Johannesburg in the South African Histories of Photography 1960-1989” explains why the club is unique. Read the history of the club here and tributes to prominent members who have passed away here, as well as further tributes to the late CCJ chairperson, Central Gauteng Regional Director and former PSSA president Anne d’Oliveira here, and renowned CCJ members Hendrik Ferreira here and Dan Swart here. Kittie Du Plessis (Groenewald), followed in Anne d’Oliveira’s footsteps as club president and Regional Director.

AFO Fotografieklub is one of the leading clubs in South Africa, with some of the top photographers as members. The club is usually a strong contender for the annual Premier Club Competition trophy, awarded to the club whose members earned the most points in salons during the year. One of its most famous members was the late PSSA President, Louis Marais, who was so popular that he was elected for an unprecedented two consecutive terms. His son, Koos Marais, is the current chairperson of the club. Towards the end of 2024 and in the beginning of 2025, he hosted two exhibitions of the PSSA 70th Anniversary Travelling Exhibition on behalf of AFO. Read more about the history of the club here. 

Helderberg Photographic Society, which meets in Somerset West, celebrated their 70^th anniversary at the end of December 2024 (See more here). In a delightful AV (watch here), explaining the inspirational influence of a Kamieskroon workshop by Freeman Patterson and Colla Swart, the philosophy and history of the club is narrated by members like Nicole Palmer, JJ van Heerden, Steve Trimby, Nettie Warncke and others. It also explains why the club’s emphasis is more on evaluation than competition and why they don’t have star ratings … even though Helderberg dominated the Western Cape Interclub competition for about 25 years.

This club began as the English Electric Photographic Society, one of the 26 founding clubs of PSSA. In 1956 the club voted to open its membership to the public and in 1958 changed its name … and from then on thrived and grew, as you can read here. Among its prominent members are the late Reg Ansell (see tribute here) and his wife Amy. Reg was a former PSSA president, prominent director and Benoni club president, and in this feature in the club magazine, Peeps, in May 2018, Benoni club members celebrated Amy’s tremendous contributions during 50-years as a member.  The current (2025) chairperson is Shane Else and visit this page  here for information about the committee members. Visit the club website here. 

Founded early in the 1960’s, Vanderbijlpark Fotografiese Vereniging is known as The Friendly Club, a motto that is explained by this chronicle of the club’s activities and history, compiled by Tom Prins (read here). The current (2025) chairperson, Henk Scheepers, was elected in 2022 and for information about the current committee members, click here. Tributes to the late Willie Roux, a club member for 45 years, who was awarded a Meritorious Service certificate by PSSA in 1989, can be read here. Among the club’s current prominent members are Francois Roux, who has served PSSA in so many capacities, including several years as a member of the Presidential Team and President, and Johan Brits, Southern Gauteng Regional Director and PSSA Excom chairman. Read more about them here.

For more information about the club, visit their website here.

The Hermanus Photographic Society is a vibrant club who is actively encouraging younger members, for example, with a partnership with the Hermies school club. Read more about them here. Visit their website here. You can read a tribute to their former president and prominent journalist Charles Naude here. Meet their current (2025) president, Carina de Klerk. They were the first Western Cape club to host the PSSA 70th Anniversary Travelling Exhibition – read here and here.

The Creative Camera Club in the Western Cape stays true to its name and attracts members willing to push the envelope. Read more about them here and visit their website here.

Founded in 2004, the Eden Photographic Society has grown into a leading club in the Garden Route by setting high standards. Read more here. Follow the links to read a tribute to the club’s late founder, Alwyn Roets, as well as about their 21st anniversary celebrations here.

Over the past few years Tafelberg Afrikaanse Fotografie Klub (TAFKlub) has emerged as one of the strongest photographic clubs in the Western Cape, with their members earning them the Western Cape Premier Club title for the most salon points. Read more about this hospitable club here, and a tribute to a former chairperson, the late Juan Venter. Another former chairperson, Quintus Heine, is currently chairperson of the Western Cape Photographic Forum, an umbrella organisation for all Western Cape clubs.

Founded in 2020 by PSSA Director responsible for Youth, Phillip de Lange, Witzenberg Photographic Society has made its mark as a host of PSSA salons and as a partner and inspiration to school clubs. Read more about their achievements in this Witzenberg profile.

This virtual club, based in the Western Cape, holds an annual exhibition of their members’ Body of Work panels, because for them, creating a visual statement is more important than winning competitions. Read more about them, and their founder, Lynne Kruger-Haye in this Ignite profile. Visit their website here.