Karin Retief has been a photojournalist for 22years, spending 9 years as a full time press photographer on daily newspapers in South Africa. Ending her press career as chief photographer at the Cape Times in Cape Town.

As a freelance photojournalist she's been on assignment for Scientific American to Kenya (Meave Leaky story), Zimbabwe (HIV/AIDS story) and Namibia (Damming the Kunene) for Greenpeace to Venda, International Rivers Network to Zimbabwe and Zambia (Tonga and the Kariba dam forced removals) and BMS (Sweden) to Lesotho (ARV treatment). She's had her work published in many international newspapers and magazines including The Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, The Independent, Financial Times, The Observer and Zuidelijk Afrika.Her focus is social/economic and environmental issues of especially southern Africa.


She is constantly on the move and has traveled to the USA, Botswana, Mozambique, Swaziland, Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey, Greece, Europe and the UK.

Karin lives between Cape Town and Namibia, which has become a second home to her and her family. In Namibia she has been documenting the lives of a semi-nomadic Himba family over a 10year period as well as an ongoing self initiated project documenting all the different cultural groups of the country.

Karin is married to her life partner of 17 years Michiel and they have a 3year old son Matias.