About Us - Grindstone

Grindstone

Brave ideas, smart execution

We're more than just an agency

We’re the artisans of the digital world. Nestled where the whales come to play, in the Garden Route, South Africa, our boutique agency specialises in a spectrum of services, from web design and development to branding and strategy.

We're on a mission to energise your business

We deliver cutting-edge marketing solutions and equip our clients with scalable tools and strategies necessary to flourish in a constantly evolving digital landscape.

So what makes us different? Our culture

Our small but mighty team brings a treasure trove of creative talents to the table, carefully crafting inspirational work, and pushing boundaries to empower businesses to excel. We know a sustainable approach to business is essential for long-term success, and we weave our commitment to sustainability into every aspect of our work, from eco-friendly office practices to supporting local and client conservation initiatives.

THE VALUES THAT DRIVE US

Brave

Together we are warriors
We challenge ourselves and each other
We think bigger than we are
We’re brave enough to shine

Compassion

We are genuine
People are everything
Integrity is crucial
Empathy is at our core

Adept

We are flexible
Our energy is focused
Our process is clear and methodical
We plan to exceed

Innovative

We love solving puzzles
Highly skilled
We have creative superpowers
We push boundaries

Our Team

We don’t just give you one great person for your project, we give you a whole team of amazing and unique talents. Our team bring a wealth of creative personalities together to work on each project, and we challenge each other to think outside the box.

CEO | FOUNDER

Lynette Whittaker

Chief whip, creative counsellor, controller of chaos, think tank, avid oenophile, and travel sommelier, Lynette has been in the creative industry for almost 25 years. With her passion for marketing, brilliant design and constant commitment to the growth of her clients’ businesses, she proudly heads our team of strong creatives and professionals, ensuring only the best marketing and design solutions are delivered to clients.

CHIEF ORCHESTRATION OFFICER

Bernadene Claassens

Bernadene grew up talking endlessly. To keep her busy (or possibly to keep her family sane), she was enrolled at a modelling school at five years old and obtained her modelling Teacher’s Certificate at a young age. Bernadene’s love for people has led her to a career as a restaurant operations manager, and afterwards, developing an unexpected passion working for a funeral agency, before joining our more lively office, here at Grindstone.

HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS AND SUSTAINABILITY

Esther Jacobs

Esther is a copywriting professional by trade, a conservation storyteller and aquaphile by heart, and our office eco-warrior. With over two decades of experience in communications, she crafts compelling stories by day and advocates for nature by… well, also day. Fun fact: She witnessed notorious orcas, Port and Starboard, kill a white shark in front of her eyes – an experience that led to interviews with Sky News, Discovery Channel, The Guardian, and The Washington Post.

HEAD OF UI/UX

Nicolaas Steenekamp

Nicolaas is a graphic designer, developer, photographer, musician and writer. After he received a BA degree in Creative Brand Communications in 2014, he worked as a graphic designer, translator and Afrikaans copywriter at various corporate groups. In his free time, he enjoys summiting all the peaks of the Outeniqua Mountain range or attempting to break his PB on a half-marathon.

ADMINISTRATION MANAGER

Paula Marais

Meet Paula. People-person, nature-lover, and all-round legend. With a background in nursing, banking, and over 20 years administering Estates and Wills, she’s all about real connections and making every day count. Proud mom of two awesome sons, she brings heart, grit, and purpose to everything she does.

PROJECT MANAGER

Manuel Koloma

Manuel, with a zest matching Mozambique’s sun, champions integrity and social responsibility. A master juggler, he effortlessly balances his passion for cutting-edge tech, like Blockchain/Web3 and AI, with a dedication to problem-solving, all while maintaining his love for adventure and exploration. Watch out world – Manuel’s on a mission to revolutionise industries and conquer new horizons, one innovative idea at a time!

What our clients say

Grindstone didn’t just design a brochure—they bottled our funky, sexy soul and poured it onto the page! From the flawless logo to the irresistible wording, they nailed our vibe completely. Can’t wait to see the magic they work on Involv Africa’s new B2B site. More projects? Absolutely.

Johan van Tonder - Director - Only Afrika

Our experience with Grindstone has been excellent. They exceeded our expectations of what we thought we would get from a marketing company. From the start, they helped us launch our business, build a strong brand identity, and go far beyond the basics by doing deep market research and formulating a clear, effective marketing strategy.

They are highly professional, provide outstanding service, and deliver a client experience that is both personal and impactful. Working with them has proven to be a worthwhile investment — they’ve elevated the look and feel of our company, ensuring it comes across much more polished and professional.

I would highly recommend Grindstone to anyone looking to take their business to the next level.

Ruan Knobel - Director - Aluminate

I engaged Grindstone Advertising in August 2019 to assist with the re-branding of LM Radio in South Africa. The re-branding exercise together with the creative imaging was completed ahead of schedule. I was extremely pleased with the standard of creativity and the resulting product. Ongoing support meets and exceeds expectation. I am more than happy to recommend Grindstone Advertising to any company that requires these creative services.

Chris Turner – Founder and former CEO – LM Radio

Grindstone Advertising has been delivering an outstanding service to Cranefield for the past 3 years. In fact, we don’t view them as our marketing agency, they have become more like an extension of our marketing team. Not only do they have a knowledgeable and experienced team, they are always enthusiastic, prompt and receptive to their clients. I would gladly refer any business that’s looking for a trusted, experienced marketing team to Grindstone Advertising.

Prof Pieter Steyn – Founder and CEO – Cranefield College

Really LOVE the new LM LOGO and CI … The Facebook Banner. Stunning. Fresh, Smart and excellent in my humble opinion. Most impressed.

Graeme White – Station Manager – Magic 828 Radio

Not only does Grindstone change and adapt with us but is also part of shaping our vision. Thank you for all your hard work, genuine interest in what we are trying to achieve and the whole team’s positive energy.

Jan van Deventer – Earth Legacy Foundation

We had a very very successful meeting last night, largely as a result of the good work that you have produced.

Don Schoeman – Marketing Consultant – Organic Aloe

In this very rushed world we live in today, people don’t often take the time to listen. Bernadene has been amazingly friendly from the word go and nothing has been too much trouble. It can be very difficult relaying ideas via long distance, yet she got me every time and made me feel at ease, so much so I felt comfortable leaving decisions to her at times. I will most definitely recommend Bernadene to anyone needing website development. Many thanks!

Lianne Meiring - House & About

I’d like to express our gratitude for the time and effort you and your team have devoted to our requested projects. The quality of your team’s work consistently impresses us, and we’re consistently delighted with the final results.