Olivier van Beemen is the winner of the Brusseprijs 2025 with his book Ondernemers in het wild. That was announced by the Fonds Bijzondere Journalistieke Projecten (BJP) on Saturday evening in the NPO Radio 1 program Met het Oog op Morgen.
Ondernemers in het wild is about African Parks, an NGO that safeguards the protection of nature reserves in Africa. The organization manages more than twenty nature reserves, with an area the size of Great Britain.
Van Beemen investigates in his book the consequences of the militaristic approach of African Parks. During the investigation, Van Beemen faced opposition and threats. In 2022, he was detained for four days in Benin on suspicion of espionage.
Van Beemen writes for, among others, Follow the Money and De Groene Amsterdammer. He previously won a Tegel for his book Bier voor Afrika, about the influence of beer brewer Heineken on the continent.
The prize for the best Dutch-language journalistic book is awarded annually by the Fonds BJP. The prize comes with a sum of 10,000 euros.