Juhan Kuus

Born in Cape Town, 27 February 1953, in the Republic of South Africa. His father, Harry Kuus, is an Estonian from Tartu, who escaped to South Africa after the Second World War. His mother, Elsa Barbara Maree, is a South African. Sister Nicole da Silva and brother Michael Kuus. In 1976 married Mareta du Plessis, divorced 2000. Died on 12th of July 2015 after falling down a flight of stairs in the St Monica shelter in which he was living.

Professional career

1970’s

While in standard 7 (high school), dropped out to join the staff of the Cape Town newspaper Die Burger as a darkroom assistant, messenger, cleaner and junior photographer. After that he worked as a photographer for the newspapers Die Burger, Afrikaans Sunday national newspaper, Rapport, Die Beeld, The Rand Daily Mail, and The Sunday Times.

1986–2000

Worked for the Paris/New York picture agency Sipa Press as a South African correspondent and photojournalist. The Sunday Times fired him when they found out. Sipa Press terminated Juhan’s freelance contract after Nelson Mandela had stepped down as president of South Africa at the end of 1999, citing the fact that world interest had moved away from South Africa and South Africa was no longer a story.

2000s

Concentrated on concerned humanist/social documentary photography, with an emphasis on the growing gangsterism and crime, as well as the downtrodden.

2002

Picture editor/photographer on the Cape Town homeless people’s magazine The Big Issue.

2003

Moved to the Western Cape province town of Oudtshoorn, working as a leather cutter, along with his father Harry Kuus. While in Oudtshoorn, he focused on the plight of the exploited farm worker.

2004–2005

Picture editor of the Cape Town daily newspaper, Die Burger.

2006

Returned to freelancing.