Melissa Strydom

Johannesburg, South Africa

Melissa
Strydom.

Words that connect. Campaigns that perform. Websites that work — owned end to end.

4+ Years experience
3 Disciplines
EN/AF Bilingual
COPYWRITER · WEB DESIGNER · DIGITAL MARKETER ·

Available for full-time & freelance roles

01

Clear, purposeful writing
for real audiences.

Brand voice & all written communications for a children's programme

As founder, wrote every word the brand has ever published — programme descriptions, parent updates, promotional copy, and website content. Built the tone of voice from scratch to communicate warmth, trust, and educational value to parents across Johannesburg.

"Every word had to earn the trust of a parent handing over their child for the afternoon."
Brand copy Web copy Parent comms

Editing & proofreading across a nursery school's full communications suite

Reviewed and refined newsletters, parent correspondence, policy documents, and curriculum materials over two years. Responsible for grammatical accuracy, tone consistency, and clarity across every written touchpoint.

"Good writing in education builds trust before a parent even walks through the door."
Editing Proofreading Institutional copy

Precision document writing for a financial consulting firm

Over four years, produced accurate financial and administrative documentation where every word carried consequence. Developed a rigorous editing instinct and a deep respect for language that is exact, not approximate.

"Precision in writing is not a style choice. In professional communication, it is everything."
Document writing Professional copy

Instructional content writing across five subjects

Wrote lesson plans, assessment materials, and learning guides across Mathematics, English, Natural Science, EMS, and Technology for Grades 4–7. Writing for education means writing for many minds at once — a discipline that sharpens every instinct.

"If a ten-year-old can follow it, the writing is doing its job."
Instructional writing Content Curriculum
02

Campaigns built to reach
the right people.

Google Ads campaigns for a children's cooking business

Set up and managed Google Ads campaigns targeting Johannesburg parents searching for kids' activities and cooking classes. Responsible for keyword research, ad copywriting, budget management, and performance monitoring to drive class bookings.

"Writing a Google ad means saying the most important thing in the least possible space."
Google Ads Keyword strategy Ad copy

Full social media presence & content creation

Manage all social media — creating content, writing captions, designing graphics in Canva Pro, and growing an engaged community of Johannesburg parents. Responsible for the full content calendar from concept to post.

"Social media for a children's brand means being warm, trustworthy, and impossible to scroll past."
Social media Canva Pro Content creation
🎯

Google Ads

Campaign setup, keyword research, ad copywriting, and performance tracking.

🎨

Canva Pro

Graphics, social content, marketing materials, and brand assets at professional level.

📱

Social Media Management

Content calendars, caption writing, community engagement, and brand consistency.

🔍

SEO Fundamentals

Meta descriptions, keywords, on-page optimisation — applied to live sites.

✉️

Email & Parent Comms

Targeted written communications that convert interest into bookings.

📊

Analytics & Reporting

Reading performance data to inform content and campaign decisions.

03

Websites designed, built,
and owned end to end.

Big Cook, Little Cook with Melissa

Designed a fully SEO-optimised website from scratch. The site handles class information, parent enquiries, booking calls-to-action, and brand storytelling — all written, designed, and managed by me. It ranks on Google for key Johannesburg search terms including "children's cooking classes Johannesburg".

Every element — from information architecture and page layout, to copy, SEO metadata, image selection, and ongoing updates — was built and maintained independently.

Web design Copywriting SEO optimisation Mobile responsive Google Search Console Open Graph metadata
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🎉 Classes for ages 2–12 • February to November

Big Cook, Little Cook 👨‍🍳

with Melissa — where little hands make big magic!

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📍 Johannesburg|🚐 Cape Town — Coming Soon!

I am a Johannesburg-based copywriter, digital marketer, and web designer with over four years of experience working across industries — from financial consulting to early-childhood education.

What sets me apart is not just range, but ownership. I have built brands from their very first word, managed live ad campaigns, and launched websites that rank and convert — all under my own hand.

I write with precision and warmth. I design with purpose. I market with clarity. And I bring all three disciplines together to create communications that work, not just look good.

As a bilingual English and Afrikaans communicator, I understand the nuance required to reach South African audiences authentically — a rare skill in a market that deserves it.

Location

Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa

Languages

English (native) · Afrikaans (native)

Education

Top 93rd percentile — Mathematics (Provincial)

Core disciplines

Copywriting · Digital Marketing · Web Design

Availability

Open to full-time, part-time & freelance opportunities

Let's work
together.

If you're looking for a writer who thinks strategically, a marketer who understands copy, or a web designer who handles it all — I'd love to hear from you.

Live portfolio bigcooklittlecooksa.co.za
Location Johannesburg, South Africa
Availability Full-time, part-time & freelance · Open to remote
Disciplines Copywriting · Digital Marketing · Web Design