He studied at the University of Cape Town from 1931 -1935 and was admitted to the degree of Master of Arts with a dissertation on the poetry of J. H. Leopold.
's first academic position was as professor of Afrikaans and Nederlands at Rhodes University in Grahamstown.
In 1957 he accepted the post of Arts Editor at Die Burger (a newspaper in the Cape) and remained there until the end of 1966.
From 1967 he served as professor of Dutch Literature at the University of Stellenbosch, until his retirement in 1978.
Louw's 1934's collection of poems entitled Die ryke dwaas ("The rich fool") might perhaps be seen as the start of the Dertigers movement within Afrikaans literature.1 Pale Falcon White is the world of historical mourning and tragic the waltz of the sea at day's dawning dew on the dunes, no zephyr that wakes just a falcon that sings in the circles he makes... (Translated by J. W. Marchant).