“VUT graduate Ms Kutlwano Ramokopelwa uses her multimedia work and postgraduate research to challenge the underrepresentation of women in sport and sports photography.”
23 April 2026 | Story by: Reabetswe Matsiliso | Picture: Keitumetsi Mokgope
3 minutes read time.
For Ms Kutlwano Prudence Ramokopelwa, photography is not simply about capturing moments. It is about restoring what has been overlooked, about giving presence to stories that have not been told loudly enough.
As the Vaal University of Technology (VUT) marks its 60th milestone, her journey stands out not only for academic achievement, but for the purpose that anchors it. On 17 April 2026, she graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Photography, formalising a path she has long been walking with intention.
Originally from Mahikeng, Kutlwano moves between two worlds that continuously shape her perspective. She is both behind the camera and on the field. A multimedia practitioner and an active softball player, she understands sport not only as a subject, but as lived experience.
It is from this dual position that her work finds depth. Through her lens, she captures the intensity of competition, the quiet emotion of athletes, and the stories that unfold beyond the scoreboard. Yet, within these moments, she noticed something more profound, a silence within the frame.
The absence of women.
Now pursuing a Master of Visual Arts in Multimedia, her research confronts the underrepresentation of female sports photographers and female athletes. It is a space she navigates with both awareness and urgency, shaped not only by observation, but by participation.
“Women in sport deserve equal recognition. That is what I am working towards,” she said.
Her work is not theoretical. It is grounded in lived reality, shaped by what she has seen, experienced, and at times, had to confront. It speaks to a broader truth, that women’s stories in sport are often underrepresented, under documented, and undervalued. Through her practice, she is not only capturing images but actively challenging that imbalance.
Alongside her studies, Kutlwano continues to invest in the institution that shaped her. She is currently volunteering her skills across VUT departments, using her multimedia expertise to tell stories that might otherwise remain unseen. It is a contribution rooted in both gratitude and a growing sense of responsibility.
Her journey has not been without pressure. Balancing academic demands, sport, and professional growth has required discipline, resilience, and consistency. There were moments when the weight of it all tested her limits.
“This one I did for myself, to prove that I can do it, no matter how hard it gets,” she reflected.
Support from the University became more than a system, it became a lifeline. Through the Sports Office, the Human Sciences Department, and the Visual Arts and Design Department, she found spaces that recognised both her ambition and her reality. Here, she was not only allowed to study, but to practise, to experiment, and to grow in real time.
It is within these quiet intersections of support and opportunity that transformation takes shape, where access is no longer just a door opened, but a path steadily built.
What defines Kutlwano’s journey is not only achievement, but intention. She is not simply building a career in multimedia and sports photography. She is shaping a space where more women can be seen, heard, and recognised.
Her message to others is simple, yet deeply personal: “Never limit yourself. Challenge yourself and do it for you.”
As VUT reflects on six decades of impact, her story gestures towards the future the institution continues to build, one where graduates do more than enter industries. They question them. They reshape them.
Through her lens, Kutlwano is doing exactly that, turning visibility into voice, and passion into purpose.