 Goldblatt was born on 29 April 1945 in Johannesburg, South Africa.When he was seven years old, he and his family moved to London, where at the age of 18 he started working as a photojournalist for the London Sunday Times.Goldblatt attended Guildford School of Art for photography, but later discovered his interest in film while working on a special assignment for Lions Films at Shepperton Studios.