This paper is an examination of colonialism, its effects on cultural identity, and its impact on the lives of women in South Africa, both black and white. The theoretical work relates to both personal issues of displacement and alienation, caused by the politics of Apartheid. The work addresses the personal, political, and social issues of cultural identity and sexuality based on the author’s own memories and experiences of the relationships between black and white women. The work attempts to deal with the issues of race, gender and class, and by using female imagery to explore issues that have enabled the exploitation and control of the sexuality as well as the economic production, of South African women. In this context the paper situates the practical work which refers to the visual impact of racist ideologies that have used the female body as a site of colonialism and subjugation, to show the effects of colonialism on the identities of African women. / Master of Arts (Hons)