Ruth Seopedi Motau

In a world of image making where photographers go in for purely the images and meeting deadlines, Motau takes a different and more personal approach. She approaches the people depicted in her photographs personally before proceeding to taking the photograph. Instead just snapping away, she’ll make sure that she gets permission from the person that she is photographing. When working on bodies of work she will also spend time with the people who she will be photographing in order to form an intimate bond and to gain the trust of the participants within that certain community that she will be working in.

Something else that is also worth mentioning is the fact that once she’s done with a certain body of work she will always try her best to show the images to the people she photographed so that they are able to engage with the work.

After completing the three year course at Market Photo Workshop, Motau worked as intern at the Mail & Guardian newspaper (1993-1995), where she worked as photographer and picture editor from 1995-2002. She continued to work as picture editor for the South African newspapers The Sowetan (2004-2008) and for City Press (2008-2010). She has completed numerous documentary photo essays and series, among others Shebeens, Sonnyboy's Story, or Women and Municipal Service Delivery. Her work has been exhibited internationally and won numerous awards, its impact and legacy on documentary photography from South Africa is recognised through platforms such as the Photography Legacy Project (initiated by the Goodman Gallery, the David Goldblatt Legacy Trust and Wits Historical Papers).

Motau was born in Zone 2 in Meadowlands, Soweto. She is the last born of 9 children. She went to Tswelelang Primary School, followed by Thutolore Secondary School in Meadowlands, Soweto and Turret College which was set up by the South African Committee for Higher Education Trust (SACHED). Afterwards, she visited George Tabor College (now George Tabor Campus of South West Gauteng TVET College) in Soweto to learn fitting and turning which she did not pursue. Motau found her passion in 1990 when she started studying photography at the Market Photo Workshop (part of Market Theatre in Johannesburg).

Ruth Seopedi Motau (born 1968) is a South African photographer currently living and working in Johannesburg, South Africa. Motau was the first black female photographer who was employed by a South African newspaper as photo editor. Her photography focuses on social documentary influenced by photojournalism and the marginalisation of black people and communities.