
Hi! I’m Tasneem, a freelancer of many talents.
Scroll down for more on me and my services.
Biography
I’m here to help make your life a little easier. I offer a range of services, including copywriting and content strategy for digital marketing, academic editing, relief teaching and research assistance. Before you trust me with your brief, research, or your students, here’s a bit about me.
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As a freelance copywriter and content strategist
I have 5 years of agency experience in B2B digital marketing, and have cut my teeth writing content and developing strategy for mid-market and enterprise organisations in everything from data services, to fintech, crypto, education and healthcare.
I’ve gained a range of experience in writing across many formats and for many consumer need states, across the buyer’s journey. These include, but are not limited to top, middle and bottom of funnel blog posts, white papers, web page strategic outlines and copy, paid media ads and lead nurture emails.
Since then, I’ve grown into content strategy — ensuring anything that is written complements my clients’ inbound marketing and business goals. This includes everything from helping clients identify their target audience, to content calendar production, developing topic cluster strategies to build brand authority, and more.
So, while I can still write to a brief, I’d also be happy to help you create one!
As an academic editor
I hold a Master of Arts (Drama) from the University of Cape Town, where I studied Ontological Design and how performance interventions function as a tool for Social Innovation. While this cross-disciplinary degree involved a practical component, the degree was awarded by dissertation only. During this time, I also gained two years of experience as a postgraduate tutor in Academic English and Writing Skills.
My postgraduate training and academic tutoring experience taught me the rigours of research and academic writing. My 5 years of experience in digital marketing has taught me how to write clearly, and succinctly — exactly what you need to communicate in a concise yet accessible manner.
As a curator and performance researcher
In my spare time, I pursue my passion for practice as research — creating and curating a collection of private performance archives. This love of meddling with complex and layered meaning-making has dogged me since childhood. It found practical expression in my undergraduate Theatre and Performance training, and intellectual satisfaction in my postgraduate studies in Curatorship (BA Hons), and the research conducted in ontological design and social innovation as part of my MA in Drama.
For more on this, or to explore the possibility of an artistic collaboration, fall into The Science Fiction Autobiography of Katara Sedai, otherwise stay here!
As a teacher of EFL and Theatre, Drama and Performance
I’m a licensed high school teacher, with a Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Cape Town. I specialise in Drama pedagogy — teaching Theatre and Drama as a subject, but also teaching through Drama.
I am also a CELTA-qualified EFL teacher, and delight in working with students of all ages and abilities.
I’ve had the pleasure of amassing a wide range of experience — from being a teacher’s assistant at a Waldorf Junior School, to teaching Drama in high schools and tutoring Academic English at university. This range of teaching experiences means I can think on my feet and readily provide assistance or relief teaching in a range of contexts.
Services
How can I help? I’ve amassed a range of skills and experience — all the way from offering content services to enterprise clients, to curating solo exhibitions, and training high school and university students — and I’m here to help. Click for more on each of my services tabs. Scroll down to see what others have said about my work.
Content Strategy and Copywriting for Digital Marketing
I write content for digital marketing, including website copy, newsletters, e-books, video scripts, paid media ads, and blog posts.
But content without strategy is like navigating a new city by guesswork. You won’t get anywhere. So, if you need, I’ll collaborate with you to create the content strategy that gets your brand in front of the right audience, at the perfect time. This could include, but is not limited to: persona segmentation, content audits, topic cluster strategy, blog optimisation and content calendar development.
With 5 years of agency experience, I’ve had the pleasure of working on brands across multiple industries — from education, to fintech, data science, manufacturing and corporate video production.
I keep a range of HubSpot certifications up to date, including Inbound Methodology, Digital Marketing, Content Strategy and Growth-Driven Design. This ensures that my work follows industry best practices, and that I deliver strategy and content with high commercial impact.
I work with everyone — no company is too big, or too small. Whether you’re a start-up needing to get your blog off the ground, an entrepreneur who doesn’t know where to start, or an enterprise organisation who needs a freelancer to give their in-house team a hand, I can help!
Academic Editing for Postgraduates and Researchers
I’ll help you turn your research into clear, academically rigorous prose. Whether you’re submitting an article to a peer-reviewed journal, or turning in your doctoral thesis for examination — together we’ll ensure you follow academic best practices in referencing and citation, language and style. As an editor for academic writing, I’ll focus on more than just proofreading your work for spelling and grammar, or tidying up your citations — I’ll also suggest structural edits that ensure your argument is clear and easy to follow.
I also offer coaching in academic writing skills. From planning through to editing, these bespoke packages strengthen the skills you need to communicate your ideas and findings efficiently, while following best practices for writing and research.
I specialise in Humanities and Social Sciences and had the privilege of studying a wide range of subjects over the course of a decade — culminating in an interdisciplinary Master of Arts, earned by dissertation only. As a result, I can assist students and scholars in a wide range of disciplines including, but not limited to: Theatre and Performance; Psychology; Curatorial Studies; Education; Social Innovation and Ontological Design.
Methodologically, I’ve trained in Quantitative and Qualitative Research design, including Grounded Theory; and I’ve specialised in Performance/Practice as Research.
Contact me and let’s discuss what you’re looking for! I’d be happy to share how my training can provide value for your project. If I don’t know your field well enough to add value, I may be able to connect you to colleagues who do.
During an initial consultation, we’ll discuss your needs, deadlines and ideal ways of working. Together, we’ll come up with a workflow that best suits you — whether that’s sending me work chapter-by-chapter, or all at once. We’ll also decide how best I can help. Perhaps you only need assistance cleaning up citations and references? Or you need more in-depth support that requires coaching, structural editing, and/or editing for language, grammar and style.
By working together, you’ll benefit from personalised service and quick turnarounds, so you can focus on what matters most: the ideas behind the words.
Relief Teaching or Tutoring in High Schools and University
I’m someone educators and school administrators can call whenever they’re in a pinch! Whether you need a qualified teacher to supervise a class at the last minute, or need a longer-term substitution to cover someone’s leave — I can help. As a versatile educator with a wide range of skills and experience, I offer personalised service packages across a range of subjects, ages and educational contexts.
Depending on your needs, you may find me offering any of the following at your institution:
- English Foreign Language classes for adults
- Practical Theatre & Performance skills training
- Tertiary Performance Theory seminars and tutorials
- Tertiary Curatorial Theory seminars and tutorials
- Dramatic Arts theory and practise for high school (collège and lycée)
- Teaching assistance in a range of subjects
- Exam supervision for any subject
- Adjudication of performance and theatre-making examinations
- Assistance with school plays and musicals
- Development and delivery of extracurricular creative arts programmes
I am a qualified and licensed teacher, registered with the South African Council of Educators. While earning my Postgraduate Certificate in Education from the University of Cape Town, I specialised in teaching Dramatic Arts for Grades 7–12 learners (collège and lycée), and Drama in Education (pedagogy).
As part of my Cambridge CELTA training, I specialised in digital pedagogy — ensuring online lessons are just as effective and engaging as those facilitated in person. Of course, this is limited to theory-based lessons — while practical work can be facilitated online, it’s still best in person.
Alongside tutoring undergraduate theatre practice and theory, I’ve also had the privilege of assessing final-year Dramatic Arts students in their practical examinations, as an official for the Western Cape Education Department (ZA).
I’d love to use these skills and be of service! Book a consultation to discuss your needs and let’s work out a personalised solution that meets them.
Curatorial or Performance Interventions and Research Assistance
Need help assembling and curating your fine arts exhibition, or creating the catalogue and marketing collateral? Have an opening night hurtling towards you, but you’re stuck for inspiration? Or perhaps you’re hoping to affect change in your community through art interventions? I can help! A wild imagination, coupled with an enduring curiosity and the discipline instilled by rigorous training has led me to this place: able to offer a wide range of arts-based collaboration and assistance.
I first trained as a theatre-maker at the Centre for Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies at the University of Cape Town. After completing my Postgraduate Certificate in Education, I followed up my practical arts education with a postgraduate degree in Curatorship run by the Centre for Curating the Archive at the Michaelis School of Fine Art.
Then, I dove straight into a dissertation-only Masters at my alma mater, which gave me the freedom to pursue interdisciplinary solutions to some of my burning research questions. Here, I specialised in Practice and Performance as Research, and interrogated how performance functions as a tool for Social Innovation (ontological design) and the curation of performance archives in relation to that function.
What does this mean for you? I come ready to help you get your idea, performance or exhibition over the line. I’ve workshopped original theatre, directed plays, acted in them, curated exhibitions solo and with others, staged performance interventions for ontological design gains, and lived to tell the tale.
Let’s play! Book a meeting to discuss your needs, or explore excerpts from my private creative world.
Julia Emma Short
Head of Marketing at Momint
“Tasneem is a fantastic writer. Her work is well researched, and well presented too! She’s super reliable and always adds value by making strategic suggestions.”
Rowan Govender
Senior SEO Copywriter at The Media Image
“Tasneem is an incredibly intelligent and highly diligent writer and editor. Her keen eye for detail and creative skills make her an asset to any team.”
Nina Liebenberg
Lecturer at Centre for Curating the Archive at University of Cape Town
“Tasneem has a remarkable ability to adapt to diverse fields with both enthusiasm and curiosity. Intelligent and discerning, she consistently produced curatorial projects of a high standard in which she balanced various streams of disciplinary concerns with delicacy and thoughtfulness. She shows a keen sensitivity towards the performative aspects of exhibition-making. She works well in a group and independently, and the successes of the work she’s touched are marked with the creativity, attention to detail and research she conducted beforehand — drawing on curatorial strategies befitting each individual show.”
Mark Fleishman
Professor at Centre for Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies at University of Cape Town
“I recommend her highly in all respects. Tasneem is very intelligent, and writes well. She has a positive and engaging demeanour which is a pleasure to have around.”
Jessica Bonin
CEO at Lady Bonin’s Tea Parlour
“Tasneem ran my business for three weeks while I was overseas and largely out of contact. She is intelligent, organised, adaptable and hardworking. She performs client-facing work as smoothly as she tackles back office operations. I highly recommend her. She’s system-oriented, driven, solutions-focussed and self-motivated. Her knack for coaxing order out of chaos means she’s a dream to have around as an assistant. She brings a professionalism to her work that makes achieving our project goals both efficient and pleasant. Her capacity for range means you work with someone who can contribute meaningfully to solving almost any challenge.”
Alyx Geanotes
Lecturer at School of Education at University of Cape Town
“She has a high degree of technical knowledge in Drama and Education and uses multimedia in the classroom to the best advantage of the learners. I would recommend her as a very capable, hardworking and organised teacher.”
Ursula Hoadley
Professor at School of Education at University of Cape Town
“Tasneem is exceptionally conscientious and thoughtful in her approach to her teaching work.”
Celia Noble
Lecturer at International House London
“Tasneem’s lesson planning is detailed and logical, with clear procedural detail which is easy to follow. There is a lovely atmosphere in her [English Foreign Language] lessons, which motivates students to listen and tackle the well-picked tasks.”
Jane Richbell
Lecturer at International House London
“Tasneem plans ahead and is prepared for all eventualities. Yet, she is able to adapt her plan and respond to the students’ needs during the lesson. She applies her teaching skills well, including eliciting responses, monitoring, and varying feedback, and delivers lessons that are above standard.”
Ed Ricketts
Marketing Account Manager at Gripped
“Our point of contact at [the company] is always very impressed with the content Tasneem prepares for them, and rarely (if ever!) requires major edits from the first draft. A massive shout out from me for taking a very technical and specific subject matter and turning it into something thorough and engaging!”
Nick Francis
Chairman at Casual Films
“We have tried to hire copywriters for years to capture the essence of [our company], and no one has come close to what you wrote for us. Thank you for the most amazing work.”
Victor Maria Escalona
Postgraduate at Humboldt University of Berlin
“Working with Tasneem has been a pleasure. She helped me turn the challenging task of writing an MA thesis into a fun experience. For me, as a second language speaker, her editing was invaluable and I would highly recommend her to anyone planning to write any academic paper in the Humanities. Tasneem’s postgraduate skills equip her with the necessary sensitivity to work in the context of any Humanities field. She managed to grasp the contents of my thesis and helped me with relevant questions. Working with Tasneem has been both absolutely professional and enjoyable.”
Maggie Elizabeth Gericke
Freelance writer and Postgraduate at University of Cape Town
“Tasneem is highly organised and has a keen eye for detail. She has helped my writing be more concise, tonally appropriate and engaging. I especially appreciate her positive attitude, as well as her commitment to elevating the experience for the reader.”
Kyle F. de Villiers
Senior Content Writer at Huble Digital
“I’ve worked extensively with Tasneem within an agency environment. The greatest challenge with editing is to look at a piece of writing from the reader’s perspective. It’s easy to lose this ability when you become familiar with any subject matter. Tasneem doesn’t have this problem. She’s able to become an expert without losing touch with the reader. So, if I could bottle Tas’ editing style, I would label the bottle as: meticulous, orderly, reader-driven, and informed.”
Caitlin Cloete
Senior Conceptual Copywriter at Wunderman Thompson
“Tasneem was by far the hardest-working, most tenacious writer on my team. She was not afraid to pull up her sleeves and upskill, pivoting into the MarTech space with incredible speed and dedication. She’s a fast and focused learner, a natural leader and highly creative – which is why I would recommend her as an amazing writer and all-rounder who will add huge value to any project.”
GET IN TOUCH
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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How much do you charge?
This depends on the services you’re looking for, and the scope of each project or retainer. However, here are some costing guidelines underpinning how I quote all my clients:
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- My fees are industry-related. They also factor in my experiences and qualifications in that area.
- Your context is considered. This allows me to offer services at a fair rate to everyone, from home industries, to NGOs, start-ups and enterprise-level businesses.
Service retainers are costed differently to one-off projects. If we’ll be working regularly together, it may be cheaper. The next question unpacks why.
Why are retainer rates more affordable than one-off projects?
I work hard to understand each of my clients’ needs and goals, and ensure that my services help them achieve the results they’re aiming for. This research or “prep work” is baked into my rates and allows me to deliver outstanding, relevant service to you, even if we work together once.
Retainers are charged at a lower rate on average because this prep work decreases to a minimum over time, and the initial labour can be compensated for over a longer period of time.
Will I have to sign a contract?
Yes, as this protects both of us and confirms that we both understand and agree on how we’ll be working together. However, we’ll keep things simple, so you don’t need to fear being hit with 27 pages of subclauses and legalese.
Can I see examples of your work?
Absolutely! Get in touch and I’ll prepare an example of my work that matches exactly what you’re looking for. This could include, but is not limited to:
- Content for digital marketing, such as ads, blog posts or ebooks
- A sample content strategy based on a problem you provide
- Lesson preparation for a TEFL or drama theory class
- Preparation for a practical theatre or performance workshop
- Lecture preparation on a topic of your choosing, related to theatre and performance theory or history, or curatorial studies
If you’re looking to collaborate artistically, you can see examples of my work at katarasedai.com.
Do you only work remotely? What if I need you on-location?
I am based in France. All services are offered remotely by default, with the exception of practical tuition in theatre and performance or curatorial and research assistance.
However, on-location interviews, consultations or workshops within the European Union or the United Kingdom are possible, subject to certain conditions.
I am CELTA-trained in digital pedagogy, and can offer EFL classes online just as well as in person. Face-to-face teaching work is limited to my area, but, again, I’m up for travelling in certain conditions — get in touch and let’s discuss possibilities.
Are you a licensed teacher?
I am registered with the South African Council of Educators, and am working on getting my qualifications and licensing recognised in France. Currently, I am licensed to teach Dramatic Arts in South African junior and high schools, from 7th to 12th grade.
As a CELTA graduate, I can teach English as a Foreign Language both online or in person in a wide range of contexts.
Do you work in languages other than English?
Yes, but not unilaterally — it depends on the service. I am a native English and Afrikaans speaker, have a working knowledge of French (CEFR A2) and very basic German (CEFR A1). Thanks to Afrikaans being my mother tongue, I can also understand basic Dutch (especially Flemish), though I cannot speak it.
I am actively learning French. At the moment, I can function in a French-speaking working environment as long as I can execute my services in English. As soon as I am able to offer digital marketing and teaching services in French (CEFR B2/C1), I will post an update here — or send me an email with your contact details, and I’ll let you know personally!
Is your question not listed here? Get in touch! We could correspond via email, or set up a meeting to get all of your burning questions answered.
Website copyright Tasneem Rossouw 2022 | Designed by Julia de Rosenwerth
Images on this website are from my performance archive and visual diary. This includes digital collages containing images created by others.
For a list of sources, or if you’d like to have an image that references your work to be removed, get in touch.