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South Africa newspapers are aimed at a broad spectrum of readers of the country.
Newspapers in South Africa are printed in English, Afrikaans and several African tribal languages. The two national
South Africa newspapers, which are published only on Sundays are the Sunday Times and Rapport. The country's turbulent history and the journey from apartheid to democracy has made its people remarkably news hungry.
History of South African Newspapers:
For over forty years the apartheid state had tried to gag the
newspapers of South Africa by using legislation, harassment and imprisonment. The first privately owned newspaper is the SA Commercial Advertiser, which was published in 1824 with Thomas Pringle and John Fairbairn as editors. Umshumayeli Wendaba was the first African language newspaper published in 1837 and Die Afrikaanse Patriot was the first Afrikaans language newspaper, which was published in 1876. In 1994
South Africa newspapers were freed from all restrictions. With the introduction of the Internet, web based newspapers have also started to produce online publications in South Africa.
Popular South African Newspapers :
- Daily Sun – Daily Sun is the first South African newspaper aimed at the black working class. With its huge sale, it has become the largest daily newspaper in South Africa.
- The Star – The Star is published in Johannesburg and distributed throughout South Africa. It is sold mostly in Gauteng. Today over fifty percent of the Star's readers are black. The star was first launched in Grahamstown in 1887 as Eastern Cape and then the paper moved to Johannesburg in 1889.
- City Press – City Press was first published in 1982 as the Golden City Press. Its name was changed in 1983 by its owners Jim Bailey and the South African Associated Newspapers. It is published only on Sundays.
- The Sowetan – Sowetan was transformed into a daily in 1981 and is aimed at an English-literate black readership. Sowetan is owned by Johnnic Communications.
- Cape Times – Cape Times is a daily, which was published in 1876. It aimed at the middle classes of Cape Town. It has a mainly white and colored readership.
South Africa newspapers are presently playing a dominant role as a popular media of communication. The current newspaper industry of South Africa is in a fairly healthy state.
