TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris says that van Niekerk has traditional and digital skills that have been honed over 20 years at some of the country's best agencies.

van Niekerk is a courageous, big-idea creative that believes in integrated platform-agnostic storytelling, and is known for her moving, entertaining and insightful work, according to TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris.

van Niekerk worked with TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris Johannesburg as creative director between 2018 and 2019 and returns to the agency from Grey South Africa, where she headed up Savanna Cider for three years.

"van Niekerk is a powerhouse and true pirate. She leads by example and is a natural fit within our collective culture. We are excited to have her back to play her role in keeping us a globally competitive creative force," says Peter Khoury, TBWA\Hunt\Lascaris's CCO.

"It's so good being back here. I wasn't done with the pirate ship and I'm excited to get stuck into creating world-class award-winning work on iconic South African brands like City Lodge, MTN and Cobra. I'm in awe of the talent here, and so far, it's been an absolute pleasure working with the team," says van Niekerk.

van Niekerk has won:
  • a number of Gold Cannes Lions
  • South Africa's first Gold One Show Pencil for TV & Cinema, and
  • three Grand Prix Awards in two years at the Loeries for Branded Content, Radio and Outdoor.
She is also a regular judge on the awards circuit, both locally and at One Show and Cannes.

van Niekerk is also currently serving on the Loeries committee with a focus to nurture and grow young creative talent to help build a sustainable and more diverse advertising industry.

"The industry definitely needs more female leaders as we are naturally inclined to bring empathy to the table. Looking after, nurturing and supporting young talent is perhaps the most important thing we can do for the industry right now, especially in these rather unsettling times we find ourselves in," concludes van Niekerk.

For more information, visit www.tbwa.co.za. You can also follow TBWA on Facebook, Twitter or on Instagram.