Her studies included courses at The Market Photo Workshop, an Honours Degree in Visual Anthropology at The University of Cape Town, and a Masters of Social Science in African Studies from The University of Oxford. Exhibiting globally, Smith was the first recipient of the Gisele Wulfsohn Mentorship for work on migration, and was a winner of the Africa Center Residency Award focusing on African migration to Spain. One of the most exciting features of her work is the extent to which it is accessible to public audiences experimenting with modes of public participation. It is within the context of public participation that she shines, and where she has drawn together her interests in media, anthropology, and socio-political interventions. Smith cofounded the solar powered mobile cinema initiative, Sunshine Cinema, in 2013.