As a freelance photographer John Liebenberg has built up an extensive body of work documenting the recent history and struggles of Southern Africa. In 1976, Liebenberg, together with his fellow conscripts, was posted to the Ondangwa Air Force base near the Angola border in Namibia. He is perhaps best known for his documentation of the Namibian War of Independence, largely considered the most significant visual record of the conflict. Largely self-taught, Liebenberg later worked for The Namibian before joining Reuters picture service.

In addition to his presence in international media, Liebenberg’s work has been exhibited on a notable scale, across Africa and Europe. Recent inclusions include the group exhibition The Rise and Fall of Apartheid: Photography and the Bureaucracy of Everyday Life, which opened at the International Center of Photography (ICP) in New York, USA, in 2013, and later travelled to other locations including the Haus der Kunst in Munich, Germany.