Born in Cape Town, Jo Ractliffe is a photographer and educator who has spent much of her career documenting the shifting landscapes of South Africa. She has held teaching positions in Johannesburg, where her practice has focused on the intersection of memory, history, and the built environment.

Ractliffe works primarily in black-and-white photography, often capturing desolate or abandoned sites that serve as silent witnesses to the country's turbulent past. Her projects frequently involve long-term engagement with specific geographic locations, resulting in series that function as both artistic inquiry and historical record.