Helen Ueckermann

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FSCA entrusts personal finance consumer education resources to us!

Helen Ueckermann IMP updated and rewrote 11 personal finance consumer education resources and developed another three from scratch (see below) for the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) in consultation with stakeholders in the financial services sector. These resources are available online at www.fscamymoney.co.za and form part of the FSCA's ongoing consumer financial education projects to help South Africans make the most of their money and live a financially well life.

Services

Writing

Language practice

Media liaison

Freelance journalist: I regularly contribute to various publications. I specialise in personal finance, but also write human interest and travel articles.

I have been published in Vrye Weekblad, Rapport, Sake24, Beeld, Die Burger, Volksblad, Taalgenoot, Foschini Club Magazine, Livingspace, Élan, Soul, Finesse, Manwees, iAfrica.com, TravelWrite.com, Smarttravelinfo.com, Careers24, Public Sector Manager Magazine, Sanlam Reality Magazine, @liberty, UJ Alumni Impumelelo, JustMoney.co.za, and others.

Corporate writing: Media releases, pamphlets, consumer education. Clients include Absa, Hollard Insurance, Sanlam, Financial Sector Conduct Authority.

Web content: I have written web content for various companies, including Sanlam, Foschini, and Absa.

Media liaison

Language practice

Media liaison

My media liaison activities focus on building the public image of my clients in the print, broadcast and electronic media.

This is achieved by getting to know and understand your business, identifying newsworthy items and events, targeting specific media with specific-angle media releases, engaging with journalists and news editors via an existing network of personal contacts.

Clients have been published in myriad publications, including Rapport, Sake24, Beeld, The Star, Business Day, Business Report, Moneyweb, Die Burger, Volksblad, The Cape Argus, The Mercury, Sarie, Rooi Rose, Destiny, Travelwrite.com, smarttravelinfo.com, iAfrica.com, politicsweb.co.za and many more.

Language practice

As a language practitioner, I am active in translating and editing newsletters and marketing pamphlets of several financial institutions, translating advertising copy, and translating and editing academic material for various subjects, including psychology, economy, marketing, tourism, and journalism and media studies.

I also specialise as a plain language writer in terms of the Consumer Protection Act, which decrees that all written communications to consumers must comply with its regulations.

Clients include Brenthurst Wealth Management, Citadel, Marriott, Hollard, University of Pretoria, University of South Africa, Stellenbosch University, Irvine Bartlett, Vuma Reputation Management, Legatus Trust, Sanlam, Financial Sector Conduct Authority.

About

Active as an independent media professional for over a decade, after working as a journalist for various media houses in South Africa.

MA in Journalism and Media Studies from the University of the Witwatersrand and an honours degree in Industrial Communications from North-West University, combined with years of experience at South Africa’s top Afrikaans newspapers such as Beeld, Rapport and Die Vaderland, the SABC's radio newsdesk and Radiosondergrense (produced and presented Rand en sent, a live broadcast personal finance programme, from 2012-2015).

Current focus is on media liaison and building the public image of clients in the print, broadcast and electronic media.

Specialises in financial journalism with a special emphasis on personal finance, small business, business tourism, airlines, career and workplace-related articles, and is a dab hand at text editing and newspaper design. Enjoys writing articles ranging from personal finance to human interest and travel for various publications and websites.

Experienced Afrikaans/English translator.

Experienced text editor of marketing pamphlets for financial institutions and advertising copy.

Experienced translator and text editor of study guides and other academic material for the University of South Africa (Unisa), covering various subjects such as psychology, economy, marketing, tourism, and journalism and media studies.

Plain language writing specialist as required by the Consumer Protection Act.

Full member of the Professional Editors’ Group (PEG).

Full member and former chairperson of the Southern African Freelancers’ Association (Safrea).

Serves on the Outside Panel of Unisa’s Directorate Language Services.

Kind words from my valued clients... Thank you!

You are an incredible partner to us at Vuma. Thank you.

Janine Hills

CEO: Vuma Reputation Management

I’ve known Helen for a number of years and I hold her in high regard. She always conducts herself in a very professional manner and has a wealth of knowledge on a variety of topics. She is very approachable and delivers on time. She comes highly recommended.

Lunice Johnston

Head Media Training and Senior Account Manager Vuma Reputation Management

After having passed a stringent editing and translation test, Ms Helen Ueckermann was appointed on the freelance panel of the Directorate: Language Services at Unisa. She has served on the panel for the past three years, mainly editing study material for the College of Economic and Management Sciences. She is equally at home in other academic disciplines and more general texts (articles, reports etc). Ms Ueckermann’s experience in the field of language is evident in the high quality of her work.

Ilze Holtzhausen de Beer

Manager: Unisa Language Services

Helen Ueckermann has been writing excellent financial content for Narrative (specifically the Sanlam Reality brand) for the past three years. Her feature articles and web stories are always spot-on in terms of brief and bring a fresh, lifestyle approach to the sometimes dry topic of money and financial matters. She’s been a great asset to our writing team.

Jane Smith

Chief content officer, Sanlam Reality

I recommend without any hesitation the work of Helen Ueckermann as a writer and a subeditor. Irvine Bartlett is a busy public relations firm and as such needs to produce considerable amounts of copy for editorial distribution. Since engaging Helen in the capacity of sub-editor the tone, style and frankly overall quality of our output has increased significantly.

Helen Ueckermann is as professional in her work ethic and she is talented at the crafting of words.

Rachel Irvine
Managing Director: Irvine Bartlett

Helen is an experienced journalist and has an understanding of many industries. She delivers on deadline and is always looking at creative, fresh angles. Her professional execution of projects is of great value.

Daleen Cornelissen

Media Liaison and Marketing at Citadel Private Client Wealthcare

Helen Ueckermann has undertaken a number of copy writing projects of a varied nature on behalf of Hollard. In all cases both Hollard’s internal and external clients were very happy with the articles provided by Helen. Her work is accurate, she keeps to deadlines and she has an appealing writing style. Helen is also willing to make changes which the client suggests. I can recommend Helen as a freelance copy writer.

Shirley Anthony

Group Marketing | Hollard

More love after UJ Alumni/Impumelelo magazine write-ups

Mr Jeff Pierce CA(SA), who audits the trust account of my practice, said: "In my profession, and at my age, it is important to remain sceptical, without becoming cynical.” With this as background and me being a former policeman and therefore naturally distrustful of journalists, I was overjoyed and especially grateful that the piece you wrote for Impumelelo accurately reflected what I had said, and was placed within the correct context.

Saying that it was well-written is an understatement. You really have the ability to present facts in an impactful way!

Thank you plenty!

Albert Marais

Albert A. Marais Attorneys (AAMA)

I have perused the profile and it is perfect.

Gift Makeke

Founder and creative director at Langaville's Finest

I absolutely love this. Best write-up about me thus far. You are a good writer.

Fhulufhelo Nyathela

Founder and Managing Director Fhulufhelo Nyathela Attorneys (FNA Inc)

Many thanks for this. It is a really great write-up, and I truly appreciate how well you have put it all together.

Deborah Mutemwa-Tumbo

Tumbo Scott Incorporated