Rudolf Johannes van Niekerk (known as Dolf) ((1929-02-22)22 February 1929 — (2022-12-31)31 December 2022) was a South African author, dramatist, radio presenter and professor.
In 1949 he was awarded a Bachelor of Arts degree by the University College of the Orange Free State in Bloemfontein, and in 1950 an honours degree in Philosophy at the University of South Africa (Unisa).
In 1978, he became an Emeritus Professor of the University of Pretoria, a position he held until his retirement in 1994.
van Niekerk's first work, a book of poems, Standpunte, was published in 1953.
He was awarded the Eugène-Marais Prize in 1963, for his collection of short stories.