About

Steph is currently an Executive Creative Director at TBWA Hunt Lascaris in Johannesburg, South Africa. Having been ranked as No.1 Creative Director and No.1 Copywriter in South Africa in 2019, as well as receiving the inaugural Campaign Magazine’s Female Frontier award, it’s safe to say she’s one of the industry’s top talents.

Over the last 20 years she’s honed her skills at some of South Africa’s best agencies. She’s won nearly every local and international award, including a number of Gold Cannes Lions, SA’s first Gold One Show Pencil for TV and Cinema and the three Grand Prix awards in two years at the Loeries, for Branded Content, Radio and Outdoor.

Having had experience in both traditional and digital agencies, she believed in integrated platform-agnostic storytelling. She is known for work that is always moving, entertaining and insightful.

She is a regular judge on the awards circuit, both locally and at One Show and Cannes. She  currently serves on the Loeries Committee and is completely committed in nurturing and growing young talent to help build a sustainable and more diverse industry.

“Steph van Niekerk has more awards behind her name than most creative people. She is known for making work that makes a real difference in people’s lives. She genuinely hates unhappiness, she believes in the best and wants to make the best, and she doesn’t like the word no. It’s this combination of love, talent and intense passion that makes her a true candidate for the Freedom of Ogilvy Award.”

– Fran Luckin, Executive Creative Director, Ogilvy Jhb, 2013