The obstacles I faced in my formative years as a young black girl pursuing a career in an industry dominated by white men during the apartheid regime have been the driving force behind my work. The scars are so deep that the only cure is massive success and unprecedented courage and discipline.

Often, when people speak of award-winning photographers, they mean that the person has won an award or two, but when they speak of Neo Ntsoma, they mean lots of awards. Ntsoma has achieved impressive artistic recognition across the country for her work; her photographs have also appeared in international exhibitions, newspapers, magazines and books. She was the first woman to receive the Mohamed Amin Award, the CNN African Journalist of the Year photography prize. She is also a lecturer, a judge in numerous photography competitions, and a member of the national adjudicating committee for Standard Bank’s Sikuvile journalist awards.

A stand-out moment was when one of her senior lecturers handed her a letter of dismissal, because her photograph subject matter was “not an appropriate discipline for black girls”. She realised that indeed, there were not any names of black women in her history of photography class, nor were they any photo studios owned by black women. She was told to pursue another career. It’s a good thing that she didn’t allow this bias to change her focus or her commitment. Her talent has changed people’s lives and her work continues to inspire other women to take up roles that they were previously told they could not fulfil.

“Today there are many outstanding young female photographers doing excellent work and leading the way in storytelling and engagement,” concludes Ntsoma. “However, the biggest challenge facing those from less advantaged backgrounds is the lack of community and family support. I am often asked to intervene in such cases. I have always advocated for women photojournalists of all races to be afforded the opportunity to tell female stories from a female perspective, not just to trust men with our narrative.”
— Tamsin Oxford

Instagram: @neontsoma