The Associates
Ilse Evertse
After many years as a teacher and then as a part-time novelist (as Ilse Steyn), I found that I liked editing more than writing. I have been a freelance editor and translator of academic texts since 1985. As the work load grew, fellow South Africans or ex-pat South Africans with a creative bent and a passion for language started helping me. We all read very widely and usually have some idea of the topic we are editing.
I love editing longer texts like case studies (mini-novels?), but otherwise I’ll edit anything – also the English on bus stop advertisements and our sons’ WhatsApp messages, which frustrates them endlessly! I once did a statistics course and, because my stats clients are patient and willing to help me when my knowledge fails, I have been the team’s main editor of stats for many years. Certain of my loyal clients believe I have a magic editing wand. Alas, no wand!
Please download all my notes, they will help you help yourself. If you read through these, internalise and apply them to your text, your editing fee will never be excessive. This is a promise.
André Crous
André Crous has a passion for geography, although his skills extend far beyond borders to editing texts from across the spectrum and translating from French into English. As hard as he tries, typos on menus or on storefronts still make him anxious. His hometown had a “Fine Pastry’s” bakery, which he avoided out of principle.
Amelia Burger
Amelia Burger has an entrepreneurial spirit and is a strategic communication specialist with an eye for detail. With a background in journalism and industrial psychology, she has run her own communication and training business for 15 years. Amelia loves being part of our editing team, as it keeps her editing and proofreading skills sharp. Editing in LaTeX (not just a file converted to Word) is her newest skill. She enjoys the added value of gaining knowledge of the different fields our clients work in.
Christine Anthonissen
Christine Anthonissen is a retired academic with more than 20 years of experience editing and translating articles for scholarly journals and theses/dissertations of candidates who do not have English as their first language. In her former life she was a professor in Linguistics at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa.
Wilhelm Retief
Wilhelm Retief developed a keen eye for detail during his 20-year-long career as a practicing attorney, but has always been deeply interested in languages. After the tragic death of his wife (Caroline Woermann), he decided to devote his time exclusively to editing, which allows him to be at home with his children. He currently edits all types of academic papers and theses covering topics ranging from business management, marketing statistics, archaeology and history.
Anton du Plessis
Anton du Plessis is a retired International Relations professor of the University of Pretoria in South Africa. He spent most of his long career supervising and editing the work of non‑English-speaking students and colleagues at an institution converting to the exclusive use of English. He also co‑edited a listed journal in the security field. Anton has a soft spot for topics linked to politics.
Marianne Kistner-Hettasch
Marianne worked as plant breeder for more than 20 years before starting a new career as fundraising proposal writer at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. After completing an editing course, she started to edit dissertations and theses in her spare time. She moved to Munich in 2021 and joined the editing team.
Francois Tredoux
Francois Tredoux taught English and Media Studies at tertiary level, and then worked as multimedia designer at Stellenbosch University’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. He also taught graphic editing software during seven glorious years at the Visual Arts department at Stellenbosch. He now lives in Montagu, the town of his birth on the edge of the Klein Karoo region. Francois has a soft spot for history, art history and visual studies, but is equally happy to edit texts in most other fields.
Mia Lochner
Mia is a creative spirit with a passion for creativity that is neat and tidy.
Her background in strategic communication and corporate events has given her an eye for detail and an understanding of clients’ needs - even when they aren’t sure what those needs are themselves. She loves reading, the occasional Netflix binge and crossword puzzles. She lives in Johannesburg with her family.