Megan Abigail White

Conceptual copywriter specialising in travel and conservation

South Africa

I'm a word-loving, creative, analytical soul living in Durban, South Africa. Integrity, kindness, and excellence are my bywords. Let's treat each other, animals, and the environment well. And let's put some good into the world!

Down to some brass tacks ... I'm a conceptual copywriter, researcher, content strategist, content creator, and editor. I work primarily within the travel, hospitality, and conservation industries. I'm especially passionate about responsible adventure travel, rewilding, sustainable and inclusive architecture and interior design, health and wellness, and history.

I'm an independent thinker, proactive and efficient in my work, and I bring an enthusiastic, imaginative mindset to all that I do. I care greatly about honesty, transparency, and fair play, and like to work with people and brands who care about these things too.

Keen to connect? Please drop me a message! It's always nice to meet new people.

Please note that my portfolio below shares only a few samples of my work. I've focused on showcasing a range of content types, and where possible prioritised work with bylines. Most of my early-career writing isn't shared here, as it was magazine and newspaper articles with no digital versions.

Finally, know that you can find employer and contractor reviews and further info on my LinkedIn page.

Portfolio

Feature articles

Ubuntu Magazine
08/01/2025
New to Nature: An elusive little deer in the Andes

I wrote an article about a species of dwarf deer that was reclassified as a unique species in 2024. The link takes you to the relevant magazine issue – please navigate to page 38 for my article.

The South African
11/07/2024
Is climbing Mount Kilimanjaro the right adventure for you?

This was another press release written while working at Follow Alice. For some reason the publication published it under someone else's profile (eye roll), but they put my author credit at the bottom of the article.

The Mercury
03/11/2010
The disappearance of the SS Waratah

This was a research article I wrote that was published in the South African newspaper The Mercury in 2008. Two years later I also published a version of it on my history blog, and I share that here, as the original newspaper article doesn't have a digital version.

SEO copywriting

Follow Alice
02/12/2024
Why experiences are better gifts than things

I worked at Follow Alice for six years. This is a screenshot of just one of hundreds of blog posts I wrote for them. I removed my profile from the company website when I resigned, hence the necessity for a screenshot so you can see it with my byline still attached. Note that the brand's voice is youthful and playful.

African Overland Tours
03/01/2026
3 reasons to include a walking safari in your visit to Africa

I've created many blog posts for African Overland Tours, operating as a freelancer and writing under my own name. I share several here, but you can browse them all at https://africanoverlandtours.com/travel-agent/megan-abigail-white/.

African Overland Tours
03/22/2026
10 most photogenic places in Namibia

I've always been interested in photography. Largely, I simply use my skills to find and crop the best images to accompany and enhance my storytelling. But it was nice in this blog post to also share some actual photography insights.

Journeys with Purpose
09/17/2025
Xigera Safari Lodge

This is the text I wrote for a proposed accommodation page for a luxury tour operator's website. My focus was on concise, aspirational writing.

African Overland Tours
04/02/2026
Top historic attractions in Johannesburg

You can't really understand a people or place without leaning into their history. And so much important history centres in and around Jo'burg, a city that exploded into being far faster than any other modern city in the world.

African Overland Tours
05/25/2026
8 facts that tell the story of the Kalahari Desert

I enjoy taking standard SEO phrases like "x facts about ..." and creating content that stands out from the crowd by finding and framing some different or more unusual facts to those trotted out by everyone else.

African Overland Tours
04/13/2026
Wise ways to buy souvenirs in Africa

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed writing this piece. I think partly it was realising how many personal experiences and insights I actually had to share about buying souvenirs in Africa, such that I feel this piece has real value beyond simply meeting an SEO target.

African Overland Tours
07/10/2026
Who are the San Bushmen of Southern Africa?

The San are a truly ancient society who today live exclusively in the Kalahari Basin. I enjoyed introducing them in this piece to those with little knowledge of who they are.

African Overland Tours
02/24/2026
Which is better for safari: East Africa or Southern Africa?

This is an original blog post written for the African Overland Tours website to answer the often-asked question about East versus Southern Africa safaris. Having travelled in both regions, I enjoyed offering a response informed by both research and personal experience.

Mauly Tours and Safaris
03/25/2026
Wildebeest Migration safari: 7 essential tips

This is one of the blog posts I wrote for Mauly Tours and Safaris. As their main target market is the USA, I wrote it in American English. I didn't upload the article to their CMS, and unfortunately they haven't formatted it well. So this article only showcases my SEO writing ability, not my CMS skills.

African Overland Tours
09/16/2025
How to choose an ethical animal encounter in Africa

I really enjoy writing thought pieces like this one on topics that matter to me. And animal welfare is a huge concern of mine. It's also lovely to sometimes write in the first person.

African Overland Tours
03/27/2026
10 best birdwatching sites in South Africa

Like so many millennials nowadays, I'm starting to feel the allure of birding. On my last safari, I realised I was more excited about the birds than the animals! I think it's partly their marvellous colours and patterns, but also partly how fleeting and therefore fortunate sightings can be.

Email newsletters

Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation
12/12/2025
December 2025 subscription newsletter

In 2025 I wrote subscription newsletters for Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation (OGRC) through Jive Media Africa, their communication partner. I've attached a screenshot of a snippet of one; this shows the start of my summary of an OGRC webinar I helped to organise.

Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer Research Grant
12/12/2025
December 2025 subscription newsletter

I also wrote newsletters for the Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer (JWO) Research Grant, which falls under OGRC. This particular newsletter included interviewing past winners, as you'll see in the attachment.

Mauly Tours and Safaris
11/27/2025
November 2025 travel agent newsletter

Every month since May 2025 I've been writing a newsletter addressed to travel agents for Mauly Tours and Safaris through my contract with Trappe Solutions, their chosen marketing company. Mauly offers luxury, sustainable East African safaris and adventure tours. I've attached a section of the newsletter.

Social media

Southern African Tourism Alliance
05/15/2025
LinkedIn post for Southern African tourism professionals

In 2025, I managed the LinkedIn B2B account for the Southern African Tourism Council through my contract with Big Ambitions Marketing. After compiling an industry newsletter, I would create LinkedIn posts on recent news articles for the council's account. I'm just going to share one such post here on my portfolio.

Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation (OGRC)
12/01/2025
Facebook post advertising conservation webinar

This is a social media post I wrote as part of the promotional content for a webinar hosted by OGRC. I did this work through Jive Media, the communications agency hired by OGRC. I actually also helped to frame the webinar topic, identify and secure speakers, and then hosted a meeting to prepare them for the webinar. More on that in the section below.

Where It All Began
08/28/2025
LinkedIn post on sustainability accreditations

This is a B2B LinkedIn post I created for Where It All Began, an ethical travel company offering zero- or low-emission active adventure trips in Southern Africa. I undertook the content strategy, content creation, scheduling, and community engagement of their LinkedIn campaign.

Ubuntu Magazine
08/21/2025
LinkedIn post for conservation magazine

I run the LinkedIn account for Ubuntu Magazine, a nature conservation publication where I do volunteer work. (I don't create the memes for Ubuntu – someone else does that, FYI.)

Ubuntu Magazine
12/05/2025
LinkedIn post for conservation magazine

Here's another LinkedIn post I wrote for Ubuntu Magazine. Since taking over the account in May of 2025, impressions, comments, and reposts all doubled within four months.

Miscellaneous

Journeys with Purpose
09/16/2025
Print poster for a luxury tour

This is a print poster I designed in Canva for the travel company Journeys with Purpose to be used at travel shows. It promotes a one-off, photography-focused snow leopard expedition in the Ladakh region of India.

NA
03/08/2025
TestGorilla results

I did a copywriting test with the independent skills-testing platform TestGorilla. I share the results here as they vouch for my research, SEO copywriting, and content strategy skills.

Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation (OGRC)
11/18/2026
Webinar framing document

As mentioned above, I helped to ideate and organise a "Tipping Points" webinar for OGRC through my work at Jive Media. This is the framing document I created to bring everyone involved up to speed on the upcoming webinar in terms of topic and participants. So I include it here as it points to various skills, not just my writing chops.

My own content

Living my write life
07/17/2025
Our creativity can make tourism more sustainable

This is a thought piece aimed at inspiring us all to make travel and hospitality more sustainable and inclusive. I shared it as a LinkedIn article and then also as a blog post on my personal website, which is the link I'm sharing here.

Living my write life
11/25/2024
Should copywriters go quietly into the night?

This was a thought piece I wrote on AI in 2024. While my understanding of the technology and its impact on things like the environment and education has naturally grown since then, I'm leaving the piece as is, as it reflects my thoughts and preoccupations in those earlier days.

Living my write life
01/03/2025
6 ways photos can mar a holiday and how to avoid them

I'm really proud of this piece, which I wrote for my own blog. It's a thought piece on our collective obsession with photographs. While I really enjoy photography, I think we all fare better when we're more mindful of marketers' strategies and the reasons behind our own snapping habits.

Living my write life
03/20/2025
Should we swim with dolphins?

I've written about Zanzibar a fair bit as a travel writer. In researching dolphin swimming, I learnt about the good and the bad aspects of this popular tourist activity. I wanted to share some personal thoughts sparked by that debate, particularly around animal welfare and childhood education on the same.

Living my write life
07/07/2025
Grootvadersbosch offers beautiful hike, rides, and more

In June 2025, I did a group hike in Grootvadersbosch in the Western Cape of South Africa. I share some photos and stories from my hike as well as introduce you to this ecotourism initiative.

Living my write life
08/31/2013
Summertime, and the living is easy at Newton-by-the-Sea

I'm so very far from being a professional photographer. But I do think I have a reasonable eye for composition, and I like snapping pics. I've had my photos published alongside my writing. Here is an old blog post showcasing a few of my shots when I one day wandered the coast in Northumberland.

Unpublished
12/08/2024
Top 10 places to visit in Rajasthan

This is a trial blog post I wrote as part of an interview process, so it has nowhere to go except here in my portfolio. I think it's a great blog post that the algorithm would've loved, so I wanted to share it somewhere!