Kenneth van Zyl, an Mbombela-based photographer, recently worked with the Portuguese national rugby team when he was their official photographer for the historic test match against the Springboks.

Van Zyl, who is more commonly known under his photography company’s name, Kaptured Concepts, moved to Mbombela in 2020 and has made the Lowveld his home ever since. He has been a keen photographer since he was only 15, initially taking photos over weekends to sell them to his fellow schoolkids for pocket money.

Since then a lot has changed, and he has been able to photograph many a special event. This includes being an event photographer for the Arnold Classic Africa, being a photographer at a Francois Pienaar charity event, being the photographer for Jannie de Beer’s book launch and even shooting the Nedbank Golf Challenge for four years in a row.

Currently Van Zyl is the official team photographer for the Airlink Pumas, whom he officially joined in 2022. He’s been part of their historic achievements in the years since. But arguably the biggest moment in his career came when he was granted the opportunity to photograph the Portugal versus Springboks test match in Bloemfontein on July 20.

However, while he had photographed a test match before (SA vs New Zealand in Mbombela in 2022), he had never been the official photographer for a team for a test match. But on this occasion he would be, acting as the official photographer for the Portugal national team.

Van Zyl said he would cherish these memories for many years to come. “It was an amazing experience, amazing team brotherhood, being part of something that only happened for one day in history and to capture all those moments!” Van Zyl said fondly. “Standing on the field seeing South African and Portuguese cultures become one and showing what makes this such a historical game and moment!”

While Van Zyl will have many special memories of the occasion, one specific moment stands out for him. “When I did photos at a signing session, I took a step back when someone asked me to sign on their signature paper, and the team manager looked at me pushed me forward and said you are not just a photographer, you are part of the team!”