Kim-Kelly works as a researcher and database manager for The South African Bird Ringing Unit (SAFRING). After completing her undergraduate and Honours degrees in Biological Sciences at the University of Cape Town, she completed a master’s degree in applied Ocean Sciences (Marine Biology) at the same university. Her master’s thesis investigated the effects of an unidentified pathogen, ‘Frill on Gill’, on the body condition of Cape Hake (Merluccius capensis), on the south coast of South Africa.