Xoliswa Ngwenya is a Johannesburg-based visual artist, photographer, and archivist whose work is deeply engaged with social and historical narratives. An alumnus of the renowned Market Photo Workshop and a current BA student at Unisa, Ngwenya has built a career distinguished by prestigious accolades and significant contributions to the archival field.
Her impactful photography has earned her numerous awards. In 2025, she was named a runner-up for the esteemed Tierney Fellowship. Her previous honours include winning first prize in the social justice photography competition from the Open Society Foundation for South Africa (2016), being shortlisted for the DemocraSEE 3 award (2018), the Magnum Foundation Fellowship (2019), and the Contemporary African Photography (CAP) Prize (2019). Most recently, she was a finalist for the Ilford Photo Community Grant (2024) and has been nominated for World Press Photo’s prestigious 2025 Joop Swart Masterclass.
Beyond her personal practice, Ngwenya is a respected educator and archivist. She has facilitated digital curation and digitisation training at the University of Johannesburg, Wits University, and Bailey’s African History Archive. Her archival expertise has been instrumental in preserving the legacies of iconic photographers, having worked on the archives of David Goldblatt, Ruth Motau, and Ernest Cole.
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Xoliswa Ngwenya is a Johannesburg-based visual artist, photographer, and archivist whose work is deeply engaged with social and historical narratives. An alumnus of the renowned Market Photo Workshop and a current BA student at Unisa, Ngwenya has built a career distinguished by prestigious accolades and significant contributions to the archival field.
Her impactful photography has earned her numerous awards. In 2025, she was named a runner-up for the esteemed Tierney Fellowship. Her previous honours include winning first prize in the social justice photography competition from the Open Society Foundation for South Africa (2016), being shortlisted for the DemocraSEE 3 award (2018), the Magnum Foundation Fellowship (2019), and the Contemporary African Photography (CAP) Prize (2019). Most recently, she was a finalist for the Ilford Photo Community Grant (2024) and has been nominated for World Press Photo’s prestigious 2025 Joop Swart Masterclass.
Beyond her personal practice, Ngwenya is a respected educator and archivist. She has facilitated digital curation and digitisation training at the University of Johannesburg, Wits University, and Bailey’s African History Archive. Her archival expertise has been instrumental in preserving the legacies of iconic photographers, having worked on the archives of David Goldblatt, Ruth Motau, and Ernest Cole.
