FOUNDER & AUTHOR
About Hannah
Multi-hyphenate author, strategist, and community founder.
Hannah Kerchhoff is a South African author, essayist, multi-instrumentalist, performing artist, and founder based in Johannesburg with roots in the Cape Flats. She spent a few years in Texas before returning home to South Africa, where her debut book, My Undoing, was published by Shofar Books in December 2024.
Through her writing, she explores faith, identity, and what it means to live truthfully and intentionally. Outside of directing her agency and non-profit initiatives, Hannah plays flute, piano, and guitar, writes original compositions, and enjoys quiet hours in bookstores.
DEBUT PUBLICATION
My Undoing
A remarkable exploration of resilience and self-discovery.
Hannah’s journey is a remarkable exploration of resilience and self-discovery. By openly exhibiting her challenges, she creates a space for authenticity that encourages others to do the same. This vulnerability is not a sign of weakness; rather, it’s a profound strength that enables growth.
Through her experiences, Hannah illustrates how confronting difficulties head-on can lead to deeper self-understanding and ultimately to a more balanced life. Her insights are particularly valuable in a society that often magnifies negativity: in an era dominated by headlines highlighting despair, Hannah’s perspective serves as a refreshing reminder of the lessons hidden within our struggles.
Shofar Books - December 2024
8 min read
Choosing Stillness Over Striving
The door that opened when I stopped being desperate.
Essays and reflections, alongside a look at what's being built under Kerchhoff Legacy.
ESSAYS & REFLECTIONS
Built to Hold Multitudes
There is Mercy in the Deep Waters
On swimming, struggle and moving with grace.
6 min read
OUR FOUNDATION STORY
The Kerchhoff Legacy
And how it came to be.
Kerchhoff Legacy did not start as a neat, linear business plan. It started as a place to put everything: Hannah was already building, thinking about and caring for, so that none of it had to compete for space or get set aside for the rest. Over the years, it had had many different names, ideas, documents, and logos. Soon after the Kerchhoff Impact Initiative was launched, Hannah decided that she wanted to start a marketing agency. That's when her mother, Lynn Kerchhoff, suggested putting everything in one place: "Well, what is everything?"
In mid-2026, Hannah was diagnosed with Autism type 1 and ADHD. While some might view this negatively, Hannah viewed it as a blessing. She describes it as her whole life up until now, finally making sense. Her mind runs in several directions at once and for a long time, this felt like a flaw to manage, rather than a strength and unique quality to utilize. There was now language for why she had so many ideas, passions, skills, and talents and why she often didn’t stick to them or grew bored quickly.
That's where the Kerchhoff Legacy comes into the picture. It is the perfect home for everything: from her work to her companies and her ventures, everything now sits coherently on this website. A structure built exactly for this purpose: to hold multitudes. And to do so simultaneously, without the pressure to choose between the different manifestations of all the parts of her.
Family & collaborative foundation
The rest of the Kerchhoff clan
Most of what Hannah builds ends up involving the rest of the family. They are essential; Hannah’s work cannot be done without them. With that being said, they each have their own endeavours worth knowing about.