Copywriter & Content Strategist · Johannesburg

Simthandile
NtobelaWords that earn
attention & trust.

13 years writing across journalism, corporate communications, and global health research — from the Financial Mail to the Wall Street Journal to Wits VIDA.

13
13Years writing professionally
Copywriting
Content Strategy
Brand Voice
Landing Pages
Email Campaigns
Press Releases
Financial Journalism
Technical Writing
Copywriting
Content Strategy
Brand Voice
Landing Pages
Email Campaigns
Press Releases
Financial Journalism
Technical Writing
What I Do

Copy That
Does the Work

01

Copywriting

Persuasive, brand-aligned copy that moves people from curious to convinced. Every word earns its place.

  • Landing Pages
  • Website Copy
  • Ad Copy
  • Brand Messaging
  • Sales Pages
02

Content Writing

Long-form content that builds authority, drives organic traffic, and keeps your audience coming back — researched, structured, written to rank.

  • Blog Posts
  • SEO Articles
  • Thought Leadership
  • Case Studies
  • Whitepapers
03

Communications

Strategic communications for organisations — from internal messaging to public-facing campaigns and executive media prep.

  • Press Releases
  • Email Sequences
  • Newsletters
  • Social Media
  • Exec Comms
In the Press

Published &
Bylined Work

The Wall Street Journal
Joburg Fire: Families Jump From Blazing Building

Co-bylined investigative report on the Albert Street building fire in Johannesburg — one of the city's deadliest in recent years. Published September 2023.

View on Muck Rack
Financial Mail
Budget 2020: Time's Up for Provinces & Municipalities

Analysis of South Africa's 2020 national budget, covering National Treasury's accountability measures for provincial and municipal government.

View on Muck Rack
Kulturaustausch · Germany
“Under the Earth” — Interview with Miner Luthando Mampintsha

Contributed to the internationally distributed German quarterly published by the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa). Featured interview with Johannesburg gold miner Luthando Mampintsha for the “Unter der Erde” (Under the Earth) issue.

View Publication
Midrand Reporter · Caxton
Breaking News & Community Reporting

Bylined hard news for Caxton’s Midrand Reporter — including live coverage of the K101 taxi violence shootout (2014) and the Midrand water crisis affecting Johannesburg suburbs.

View on Muck Rack
Sandton Chronicle · Caxton
Business & Lifestyle Reporting

Bylined features and event coverage for Caxton’s Sandton Chronicle, including the 30 Days of Home and Food event at Gallagher Estate (2016).

View on Muck Rack
Rosebank Killarney Gazette · Caxton
Business Culture & Millennial Workplace Features

Bylined feature writing for Caxton’s Rosebank Killarney Gazette, including a 2017 piece on workplace design and millennial business culture in South Africa.

View on Muck Rack
MIRNA · The Global Health Network
Maternal Immunisation Readiness Network — Web Copy

As sole communications officer at Wits VIDA, I wrote all web copy for MIRNA — a nine-country research network strengthening maternal immunisation across Africa and Asia.

View Live Site
University of Pretoria / Freedom Won
Young Engineers Set to Impress — Campaign Copy

Brand voice and campaign copy for Freedom Won's engineering youth initiative. Landing page, press release, and executive media talking points — concepts still in use today.

View Article
Wits VIDA · CHAMPS SA
CHAMPS Co-Design Workshop Stakeholder Coverage

Web content, profiles, event communications, and social media for the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance study — from brief to live.

View Article
Full Journalism Portfolio on Muck Rack

Brands I've
Written For

Energy / B2B
Freedom Won

Owned the brand voice on social media, ideated campaign concepts, wrote landing pages and press releases for a major PR campaign. Copy and concepts from 2023 are still actively in use.

  • Brand Voice
  • Landing Pages
  • Press Releases
  • Social Media
  • Executive Prep
Global Health Research
Wits VIDA — MIRNA & CHAMPS SA

Sole communications officer for two major international research studies. Wholly responsible for all web content, profiles, landing pages, and social media — including graphics — for both studies.

  • Web Copy
  • Social Media
  • Profiles
  • Event Comms
  • Newsletters
Finance / Journalism
Financial Mail & The Wall Street Journal

Bylined journalism across two of the world's most respected publications — financial policy analysis in the FM and hard news reporting in the WSJ.

  • Financial Journalism
  • Policy Analysis
  • Investigative Reporting

The Depth
Behind the Copy

I've written for global newsrooms, international research networks, energy companies, and beauty brands. That range means I write with authority on almost any topic — and adapt to fit your voice.

13+
Years Experience
24h
Turnaround
WSJ
Published In
  • ✦
    Journalist's instinct, copywriter's craft

    Years in newsrooms taught me to research deeply, write clearly, and cut ruthlessly. That discipline shapes every piece of copy I write.

  • ✦
    Copy that sounds like you

    No templates. I learn your brand voice and write content that feels authentic — because it is.

  • ✦
    Complex topics, human language

    From global health research to financial policy to energy tech — I translate complexity into clear, compelling content.

  • ✦
    You don't pay if you don't love it

    Revisions are included. If you're not satisfied, we make it right — no questions asked.

How It Works

From Brief
to Done — Fast

01

Brief

Tell me your business, goals, and audience. Takes 10 minutes, sets the foundation for everything.

02

Strategy

I map the angle, tone, and structure before writing a single word. No wasted drafts.

03

Draft

First draft delivered in 24–48 hours. We refine together until it's exactly right.

04

Publish

Content goes live and starts working.

Transparent Pricing.
No Surprises.

R600
per piece
Single Content

One blog post, article, or short-form copy asset — researched and delivered fast.

  • 1 Blog Post (up to 1,000 words)
  • SEO optimised
  • 1 round of revisions
  • Delivered in 24 hours
Get Started
Custom
retainer / project
Ongoing Comms

Monthly content, communications strategy, or a dedicated retainer for consistent output.

  • Blog posts + social copy
  • Press releases & newsletters
  • Priority turnaround
  • Monthly brief session
Let's Talk

Let's Build
Something.

Got a project, a deadline, or just an idea? Tell me what you need and I'll come back to you within a few hours.

Location
Johannesburg, South Africa
Email
thandi.ntobela@gmail.com
Availability
Open for new projects · Fast turnaround