Globally, the use of visuo-semiotic models (VSMs) in the mathematics classroom is called for across levels and topics. Literature confirms that visual cognition/literacy in teachers is limited and that their capabilities in visual representation is low. The aim of this study was therefore to explore pre-service teachers' (PSTs) conception of VSMs as a process in doing mathematics in the context of coordinate geometry. A survey with qualitative data was used to collect data from mathematics pre-service teachers taking the geometry module. The PSTs answered open ended questions that comprised coordinate geometry test items. Mnguni's (2014) cognitive process of visualisation was used to analyse visualisation skills portrayed in the test. The study found that different pre-service teachers operate at different levels of visual literacy. The teacher education curriculum should therefore be systematically designed to cater for the skills lacking in the PSTs. It is also recommended that teacher training programmes sharpen their attention on bringing awareness of mathematical visual literacy among PSTs during training.