Lerato Motau lives on Vilakazi Street in Soweto, the historical significance of which has inspired her and features in some of her work. Vilakazi Street is the only street in the world where two Nobel Prize winners have resided. It also has two primary schools, two high schools and two churches.

Motau has had one solo exhibition in 2010. Her work has featured in a number of group exhibitions. Internationally, she was represented in exhibitions that showed in Beijing, China, Australia, Canada, India, London, Switzerland and Finland.

Despite a learning barrier of dyslexia, Motau

has obtained a Fine Arts and Teaching – Diploma from the Johannesburg Art Foundation in 1998. In 2004 she received an – NQ4 Certificate in Craft Enterprise from the Craft Council. In 2005, she qualified with an NQF4 Certificate in Basic Embroidery and also attended a handmade feltmaking workshop in the same year.