He studied under Tom Wostyn at Heaton, briefly under Sir Hubert Herkomer at Bushey, and finally under Henry Tonks at the Slade School of Art. He spent some time in Florence studying the art of fresco. He preferred painting the landscapes of the Cape and Natal, often depicting farmhouses. He was adept at producing formal portraits, working happily in oils or pastel. In his heyday Roworth greatly influenced the South African art scene, endorsing a conservative approach.

Edward Roworth arrived in South Africa with British forces during the Anglo-Boer War. After the war he set up a teaching studio. In 1908 he was elected President of the South African Society of Artists, and again in 1918–20 and 1933–36.

Roworth was commissioned to produce a painting of the National Convention in 1909, a 5m x 6m work depicting the 33 men who were architects of the Union. This work was completed and displayed in Buckingham Palace in 1909 and, later installed in the House of Assembly Cape Town. He then went on to paint, what were possibly the first frescoes in South Africa, in St Phillips Church in Cape Town.