Karien van der Westhuizen, Author at the earth is round

It’s the end of an era! We are letting go of our stick figure emblem, and embracing a more abstract symbol as we grow into our next phase. It’s an underlined O, a good head and shoulders, a steady base holding a sphere, a zen line and circle. As we turn 18 this year, we are ready to level up on service delivery, growing into an agile full-service digital agency and participating more deeply in promoting progressive and social democratic values.

From the days of a handdrawn stick figure in 2007 until now, we’ve partnered with organisations working for human dignity, environmental justice and sane policy solutions. We’ve learned that effective communication isn’t just about clever campaigns or flashy graphics. It’s about understanding the needs of our clients, the nuances of our time and the complexities of human perception. Most of all, it’s about translating sane ideas into clear and powerful metaphors that deliver the intended message to the right people.

We are ready to deliver full spectrum visibility & strategic branding services — from initial strategy sessions to digital asset creation to measuring real-world impact. We’re not interested in surface-level relationships. We want to understand your organisation’s DNA, become an extension of your team, help you communicate your vital work with the clarity and power it deserves — and help your advocacy comms gain traction in an increasingly crowded attention market. Let’s work together to make it happen!

Take a look at our current team here. If you have any questions, drop us a line on info@theearthisround.co.za.

Onwards to the proliferation of sane and helpful ideas!

The radical funding cuts and near-dismantling of USAID have left massive deficits in South Africa’s AIDS response and have blown up the public health research & advocacy landscape.

It is clear that the largest economy in the world will no longer be investing in global health – or in the strengthening of liberal democratic values worldwide. Rising inequality & technofeudalism, the advance of AI and the ongoing destruction of our environment and democratic values are great cause for concern. Our current systems are eating us alive and we now more than ever need strong global cooperation, activism and checks on power.

In response, we are offering a special 30% solidarity discount to organisations directly affected by these sudden US funding cuts. This includes fees for any service we provide that does not involve third-party suppliers like printers.

the earth is round was founded in 2007, and has since 2016 only done impactful work for non-profit organisations. Our clients appreciate our deep understanding of the advocacy landscape, academia, human rights and our willingness to go the extra mile. We are committed to transparent billing and high-quality work that stands out in a noisy world.

If you need strategic branding, websites, reports, infographics or animation, contact us for a quote. In order to qualify for our 30% solidarity discount, you must be able to verify that you lost funding.