Meet your host
Hush Naidoo is a highly astute entrepreneur, businessman and globally renowned photographer with three decades of experience. He has the unique ability to capture humanity at its best through moments that transcend generations. These include events, portraits, board members of listed companies, multi-national executives, Hollywood actors and accomplished global leaders such as Oprah and Nelson Mandela. He worked with SAFTA events for more than a decade – capturing the best of the best in TV and film across South Africa.
Hush is among few remaining photographers who experienced the industry during its transition from analogue to digital. He provided photography solutions to a wide array of clientele – ranging from people to architecture, capturing the brand stories of companies such as Edcon ,KFC Bill Gates foundation , DPWorld beyond boundaries initiative
Hush has a lifelong commitment to going the extra mile, putting the needs of others first. He is privileged to lead Safrea as treasurer this year in achieving its next set of milestones, positively impacting the freelancing industry.
https://jadephotography.co.za/
http://www.instagram.com/jadephotographyanddesign/
www.flickr.com/photos/hushnaidoo
www.facebook.com/JadePhotographyVisualImageSolutions
http://www.linkedin.com/in/hushnaidoo/
Meet your panellists
Siphiwe Mhlambi is a multiple award-winning photographer Siphiwe founded African Skies Media. He has captured the history of South Africa through his lens: from the children dancing in the dusty townships of South Africa to kings, presidents, and politicians of the world, from guns blazing during apartheid to the peaceful marches to democracy. He has captured through his lens life and death, celebration and mourning, fear and hope, love and hate, music and song. His work has traveled to every corner of the world and continues to be sought by galleries, as well as commissioned by universities, institutes, governments, and celebrities.
Ruth Seopedi Motau is a pioneering South African photojournalist known for her compelling documentary photography and dedication to visual storytelling. Born and raised in Meadowlands, Soweto she developed a passion for photography at a young age, eventually pursuing formal training at the Market Photo Workshop. As the first Black female photo editor for three publications (Mail and Guardian,Sowetan and City Press) in the country’s mainstream media, Ruth broke barriers in a historically male-dominated field, paving the way for future generations of photographers. Her work is deeply rooted in social justice, capturing the realities of everyday life, especially in marginalized communities.
Throughout her career, Ruth has worked for prominent newspapers such as the Mail & Guardian, City Press, and Sowetan, where she played a crucial role in shaping visual narratives in post-apartheid South Africa. Her photography focuses on issues such as poverty, gender, identity, and urban life, offering an unfiltered look into the experiences of ordinary South Africans. She is particularly known for documenting the resilience of women and communities facing socio-economic challenges, using her lens to amplify voices that are often overlooked.
Ruth’s work has been exhibited in major galleries and photography festivals, both locally and internationally. She has also participated in numerous workshops and mentorship programs, training aspiring photographers and advocating for greater representation of Black women in the field. Her contributions to photojournalism have earned her accolades and recognition as one of South Africa’s most influential documentary photographers.
Beyond her professional achievements, Ruth remains committed to using photography as a tool for education and activism. She continues to document South African society with an emphasis on storytelling that fosters empathy and understanding. Her legacy is one of resilience, artistic excellence, and an unwavering commitment to truth through the lens of her camera.
Neo Ntsoma is an award winning photographer, educator, and creative consultant dedicated to amplifying the voices of marginalized communities through her powerful images. With a focus on identity, culture, and social justice, her work has been showcased in prominent international publications, exhibitions, and awards.
In 2004, she became the first female recipient of the prestigious Mohamed Amin Award, the CNN African Journalist of the Year Photography Prize, for her photo essay entitled, ‘Their World in Flames’. She is the recipient of the National Geographic All Roads Photography Award and the co-author of ‘Women by Women’, a book on 50 years of women’s photography in South Africa. In 2006, Media24, included her in their list of ‘100 Most Influential Women’ and featured in Cosmopolitan magazine’s top thirty “awesome women” (2004 and 2006). In 2019, Ntsoma was also featured in the Mail and Guardian bulletin of Top 100 Women Changing South Africa.
Ntsoma has also lent her expertise as a judge for various photography competitions and served on selection committees for prestigious awards most notably the UNESCO Youth Eyes on the Silk Roads International Photo Contest, Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award and [UNESCO ICM] Martial Arts Photo Contest. As an independent curator, she has organized a few photography exhibitions including the Womandla Photography exhibition at the Pingyao International Photography Festival in China, the Wits University Fine Arts Students exhibition launched at the 2nd Quanzhou (Huaguang) International Image Biennial, Fujian Photographic Art Museum in China (2023) including Born Free: Generation of Hope, a photographic exhibition by Dutch photographer Ilvy Njiokiktjien’s currently on display at the Apartheid Museum, in which she explores the lives of South Africa’s first generation born after apartheid (2024).
Ntsoma’s leadership extends to her roles as a Convener of Photography in several national esteemed media awards and she has also shared her knowledge as a guest at renowned institutions such as the New York International Centre for Photography, Stanford University, Yale University as well as Pathshala, the South Asian Institute of Photography in Bangladesh, where she taught for a year between 2002 and 2003.
EVENT DETAILS:
Members attend free of charge. Non-members pay R100 – details on RSVP form. RSVP’s closes at 10h00 on 27 February, the Zoom link will be sent by 12h00.
