A series of nickel hydroxide-modified cadmium sulfide/reduced graphene oxide (Ni(OH)2-CdS/rGO) nanocomposites were synthesized and characterized. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared Ni(OH)2-CdS/rGO materials for hydrogen production from water under visible light irradiation (λ > 420 nm) was investigated. The results demonstrated that Ni(OH)2 is an efficient cocatalyst for photocatalytic hydrogen production and rGO can significantly enhance the rate of photocatalysis. The optimal Ni(OH)2 loading was found to be 1.0 wt %, giving a rate for hydrogen production of 4731 μmol·h–1·g–1, which is nearly 10 times higher than that of CdS/rGO photocatalyst under the same condition. This work demonstrated the synergetic effect of Ni(OH)2 and rGO to enhance catalytic activity for visible light-driven hydrogen production.