The series ‘Paradise for Sale’ was shot in January 2025, all with an iPhone.

This photo series follows young men on the beaches of the island of Zanzibar. In a region where tourism is the main economic driver and the number of international visitors breaks records annually, they try to find income around tourist zones. On the island’s beaches, young men attempt to find their place in the tourism-dependent economy. They sell jewelry or souvenirs, give surfing lessons, hang out, or swim in the sea. Many men falsely pose as Maasai, dressed as “authentic warriors” in traditional attire. They actively seek contact with female tourists, hoping for attention, gifts, money, dinners, or a long-term relationship, on an island without a social safety net.

The series places these actions in the context of a tourism-dependent economy. Although visitor numbers continue to grow, the revenue is unevenly distributed, and access to formal employment remains out of reach for many young men. For many young men, tourism is the only direct and visible source of income. This series shows how they create their own work. Paradise for Sale explores the tension between tourism and livelihood, between vacation and survival, and raises questions about economic dependency, inequality, and self-reliance. Who works, who waits, and who profits—and at what cost?