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    • Print Digital Publishing Media industry South Africa

    The Print and Digital Media Publishing Industry in South Africa 2024

    Pila Rulashe | South Africa | 29 February 2024

    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2020

    Carole Veitch | South Africa | 19 May 2020

    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2018

    Carole Veitch | South Africa | 11 July 2018

    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2015

    Carole Veitch | South Africa | 25 February 2015

    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2014

    Carole Veitch | South Africa | 28 January 2014

    Report Info

    Report Summary Table of Contents
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    Report Coverage

    This report on the print and digital media industry includes information on major publishers and printers, circulation figures, top online publishers, size and state of the industry, key trends, environmental issues, technology and innovation, competition, and barriers to entry. There are profiles of 24 companies including major publishers such as Media 24, Caxton & CTP, Arena, and Independent, and specialised publishers such as Technews Publishing, Medical and Pharmaceutical Publications and IT Web.

    Introduction

    • The print and digital media industry has undergone significant changes with the loss of audiences and revenue for the former and growth of the latter.
    • Between 2019 and 2023, circulation of newspapers and magazines plummeted.
    • The number of users in the electronic publishing magazines, newspapers and books market has grown significantly.
    • Large content-generating print companies, such as Media24, Caxton & CTP, Arena, and Independent Media, have established an online presence using a mix of paid and free content.
    • There appears to be a trend to move away from news content on platforms such as Facebook, Google, and X.
    • The next battleground is that of generative AI and the role it could play in content development.

    Trends

    • An increase in the number of households with internet connectivity enabling greater access to digital media.
    • Broadcast TV and radio likely to keep largest audiences.
    • Declining newspaper and magazine circulation.
    • The large news print media companies are likely to retain their dominance albeit in a smaller print market.
    • The shift of advertising spend to digital platforms looks set to continue.

    Opportunities

    • Growing potential users of online media with the increased number of households with internet connectivity.

    Challenges

    • Acquiring and retaining professionals in print media.
    • Continued dominance of local large media companies limiting media diversity.
    • Further disruption of the industry from new technologies such as programmatic advertising and generative AI.

    Outlook

    • The decline in print media circulation is not abating, but many consumers still prefer to read printed books and magazines, which may support growth, or at least limit the pace of the decline.
    • A continued decline in newspapers, consumer magazines and books spend is expected, while spend on internet advertising is expected to rise.
    • Print media is finding it challenging finding sustainable business models.
    • If the trend of big tech companies deprioritising news content continues, news organisations will have to strengthen their online operating models to reach audiences directly and augment revenue streams beyond news subscriptions.

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    The Print and Digital Media Publishing Industry in South Africa
    The Print and Digital Media Publishing Industry in South Africa 2024

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    Industry Landscape

    R 6 650.00(ZAR) estimated $ 354.58 (USD)*

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    Historical Reports

    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2020-05-19

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    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2018-07-11

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    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2015-02-25

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    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2014-01-28

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    Table of Contents

    [ Close ]
    PAGE
    1. INTRODUCTION 1
    2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 2
    2.1. Industry Value Chain 3
    2.2. Geographic Position 4
    2.3. Size of the Industry 6
    3. LOCAL 12
    3.1. State of the Industry 12
    3.2. Key Trends 15
    3.3. Key Issues 15
    3.4. Notable Players 16
    3.5. Trade 17
    3.6. Corporate Actions 18
    3.7. Regulations 19
    3.8. Enterprise Development and Social Development 20
    4. AFRICA 21
    5. INTERNATIONAL 23
    6. INFLUENCING FACTORS 28
    6.1. Unforeseen Events 28
    6.2. Economic Environment 29
    6.3. Labour 30
    6.4. Environmental Issues 31
    6.5. Technology, R&D, Innovation 32
    6.6. Government Support 33
    6.7. Input Costs 34
    7. COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT 34
    7.1. Competition 34
    7.2. Ownership Structure of the Industry 35
    7.3. Barriers to Entry 36
    8. INDUSTRY SUMMARY 37
    9. OUTLOOK 37
    10. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 38
    11. REFERENCES 39
    11.1. Publications 39
    11.2. Websites 40
    ANNEXURE 1 – Industry Legislation 41
    APPENDIX 1 - Summary of Notable Players 45
    COMPANY PROFILES 52
    A C Braby (Pty) Ltd 52
    African Media Entertainment Ltd 54
    Arena Holdings (Pty) Ltd 57
    Caxton and CTP Publishers and Printers Ltd 60
    Conde Nast Independent Magazines (Pty) Ltd 65
    Creamer Media (Pty) Ltd 67
    Crown Publications (Pty) Ltd 69
    Fundudzi Media (Pty) Ltd 71
    Greymatter and Finch (Pty) Ltd 73
    Highbury Media (Pty) Ltd 75
    Independent Newspapers (Pty) Ltd 77
    Interact Media Defined (Pty) Ltd 79
    IT Web (Pty) Ltd 81
    Kaqala Media (Pty) Ltd 83
    LexisNexis (Pty) Ltd 85
    M and G Media Ltd 87
    Mandla-Matla Publishing (Pty) Ltd 89
    Media24 (Pty) Ltd 91
    Medical and Pharmaceutical Publications (Pty) Ltd 98
    Novus Print (Pty) Ltd 100
    Now Media (Pty) Ltd 102
    Panorama Media Corporation (Pty) Ltd 104
    Publishing Partnership (Pty) Ltd (The) 106
    Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd 107
    TransUnion Africa (Pty) Ltd 109

    Report Coverage

    This report focuses on the Print & Digital Media Publishing Industry and includes comprehensive information on the state and size of the sector including the latest available circulation, readership and adspend figures and trends and corporate actions. There are profiles of 36 companies including major players such as Media24, Caxton & CTP, Arena and Independent Media, relatively smaller publishers such as IT Web, and academic publishers such as LexisNexis and Eduflex.

    Introduction

    The past decade has been extremely challenging for the South African media publishing industry. Despite the growth of digital media, rising digital income streams have not adequately offset the decline in print revenues. In 2019, media publishing revenue, comprising consumer and advertiser expenditure on newspapers and magazines, remained on a downward trajectory, contracting by around 2% year-on-year to an estimated R11bn. The evolution of South Africa’s major media publishing houses into multi-platform companies has resulted in the blurring of traditional publishing lines. With the incursion of radio and television broadcasting companies, tech titans and social media platforms into the digital ‘read media’ reporting space, competition for advertising spend has intensified. Although the circulation figures of most newspaper and magazine titles are in free-fall, recent research indicates that demand for reliable information and quality content has surged since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in South Africa. With the proliferation of fake news, spread largely via social media, stakeholders say that there is an urgent need for ethical journalism and accurate information to counter the tide of misinformation.

    Strengths

    • Major media publishing houses are multi-platform companies that produce print and digital publications, and increasingly, non-media platforms, such as the hosting of events.
    • Media publishers are becoming increasingly innovative and many are supplementing text with podcasts, videos, livestreaming and live blogging, which allows for rolling coverage using text, images, audio and video.
    • South Africa has a dynamic, well-developed media publishing industry, which produces a diversity of high quality publications.
    • The freedom of the press in enshrined in the South African constitution. The country has a robust media, which ranks 31st out of 180 in the 2020 World Press Freedom Index.
    • The South African media performs a crucial societal role as ‘gatekeeper’, exposing corruption and holding public office bearers and the private sector to account.

    Weaknesses

    • English and Afrikaans-language publications are dominant and there are relatively few mainstream publications in vernacular languages.
    • In print media, production and distribution costs are high.
    • Mainstream media publishing is dominated by four major players.
    • Public trust in the media is low.
    • There is a lack of journalistic rigour, particularly online.

    Opportunities

    • The conversion of text into podcasts.
    • The development of multi-platform business models, incorporating media and non-media.
    • The development of new African language publications.
    • The monetisation of online channels.
    • Using artificial intelligence to create integrated marketing solutions and customised publications.

    Threats

    • Domestic and global economic pressures.
    • Growing competition for advertising spend, with the tech titans increasingly eroding market share.
    • The continued decline in advertising and circulation revenues, resulting in the demise of print titles.
    • The continued propagation of misleading coverage and fake news via social media and other media channels.
    • The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on lives and livelihoods.
    • The incursion of local and international radio and television broadcasting companies into the online reporting space.
    • The possible signing into law of the “secrecy bill” and other measures that may curtail media freedom.

    Outlook

    With the battle against coronavirus intensifying, journalists continue to perform a crucial role delivering vital information and compelling content. While the surge in demand for reliable information and credible content from trustworthy sources is good news for South Africa’s media publishers, the industry faces an uncertain future. Analysts expect the circulation of printed publications to continue to shrink and advertising revenues to remain in decline. Role players say that to offset print losses, media publishers will continue to diversify to generate sustainable revenue streams. With text coexisting with podcasts, videos and other voice and visual-based interfaces, the line separating traditional media publishing from other media channels will likely become increasingly blurred.

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    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa
    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2020

    Full Report

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $101.31 (USD)*

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    Industry Landscape

    R 1 330.00(ZAR) estimated $ 70.92 (USD)*

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    Historical Reports

    The Print and Digital Media Publishing Industry in South Africa 2024-02-29

    R 9 500.00(ZAR) estimated $506.54 (USD)*

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    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2018-07-11

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $101.31 (USD)*

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    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2015-02-25

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $101.31 (USD)*

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    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2014-01-28

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $101.31 (USD)*

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    Table of Contents

    [ Close ]
    PAGE
    1. INTRODUCTION 1
    2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 1
    2.1. Industry Value Chain 3
    2.2. Geographic Position 4
    3. SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY 5
    4. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 7
    4.1. Local 7
    4.1.1. Corporate Actions 17
    4.1.2. Regulations 18
    4.1.3. Enterprise Development and Social Economic Development 20
    4.2. Continental 21
    4.3. International 22
    5. INFLUENCING FACTORS 24
    5.1. Economic Environment 24
    5.2. Operational Costs 25
    5.3. Technology, Research & Development (R&D) and Innovation 25
    5.4. Content 27
    5.5. Advertising 27
    5.6. Labour 28
    5.7. Environmental Concerns 29
    6. COMPETITION 29
    6.1. Barriers to Entry 31
    7. SWOT ANALYSIS 31
    8. OUTLOOK 32
    9. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 33
    10. REFERENCES 33
    10.1. Publications 33
    10.2. Websites 34
    APPENDIX 1 35
    Summary of Notable Players 35
    COMPANY PROFILES 43
    A C BRABY (PTY) LTD 43
    ARENA HOLDINGS (PTY) LTD 45
    CAXTON AND CTP PUBLISHERS AND PRINTERS LTD 48
    CONDE NAST INDEPENDENT MAGAZINES (PTY) LTD 53
    CREAMER MEDIA (PTY) LTD 55
    CROWN PUBLICATIONS (PTY) LTD 57
    EE PUBLISHERS (PTY) LTD 59
    FUNDUDZI MEDIA (PTY) LTD 61
    GREYMATTER AND FINCH (PTY) LTD 62
    HIGHBURY MEDIA (PTY) LTD 64
    INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS (PTY) LTD 66
    INTERACT MEDIA DEFINED (PTY) LTD 68
    IT WEB (PTY) LTD 70
    KAQALA MEDIA (PTY) LTD 72
    LEXISNEXIS (PTY) LTD 74
    M AND G MEDIA LTD 77
    MANDLA-MATLA PUBLISHING (PTY) LTD 79
    MEDIA24 (PTY) LTD 81
    MEDICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL PUBLICATIONS (PTY) LTD 88
    MONEYWEB HOLDINGS (PTY) LTD 90
    NEW MEDIA PUBLISHING (PTY) LTD 92
    NOVUS PRINT (PTY) LTD 95
    NOW MEDIA (PTY) LTD 97
    PANORAMA MEDIA CORPORATION (PTY) LTD 99
    PUBLISHING PARTNERSHIP (PTY) LTD (THE) 101
    TECHNEWS PUBLISHING (PTY) LTD 102
    TRANSUNION AFRICA (PTY) LTD 104

    Report Coverage

    The comprehensive report on the South African Print and Digital Media Publishing sector describes current conditions and local trends, looks at the performance of major players and includes the factors that influence the success of role players. Profiles for 39 companies are provided, ranging from the “Big Four” which publish almost all of the mainstream newspapers and magazines, to smaller players such as Creamer Media (Pty) Ltd, which publishes two weekly newspapers and online editions, and IT Web (Pty) Ltd, which has approximately 32,000 daily subscribers. Also profiled is Afro Times Media (Pty) Ltd t/a Afro Voice and formerly known as The New Age, which was discontinued on 30 June 2018.

    Introduction

    The South African media publishing industry remains under pressure, with total revenue generated by the publication of newspapers, magazines and journals in both print and digital format shrinking to approximately R17.5bn in 2017. The impact of digital disruption on the beleaguered industry has been profound and with print circulation figures and advertising revenues projected to continue their downward slide, some analysts say that the industry is nearing its tipping point. Undermining the possibility of recovery is the prevailing crisis of confidence in the mainstream media. Reporters Without Borders warned that the world has entered an age of disinformation, characterised by the rapid propagation of misleading coverage and fake news via social media and other digital platforms.

    Strengths

    • Media publishers have developed an online presence and are represented on multiple digital platforms.
    • South Africa has a dynamic, well-developed media publishing industry, which produces a diverse variety of high-quality publications.
    • The Freedom of the Press in enshrined in the South African constitution. The country boasts a robust media, which ranks 28th out of 180 nations on the 2018 World Press Freedom Index.

    Weaknesses

    • Printing and distribution costs are high.
    • Specialised editorial staff and other skilled personnel are in short supply.
    • The industry is dominated by four major players.
    • The sector is characterised by a relatively high level of volatility and numerous titles have been discontinued or reclassified.
    • Titles in vernacular languages are poorly represented.

    Opportunities

    • Developing customised magazines for the emerging black middle-class market.
    • The development of additional indigenous African language publications.
    • The development of multi-platform business models, incorporating both media and non-media platforms.
    • The exploitation of existing digital platforms, as well as the creation and monetising of new online and mobile media distribution channels, including social media.

    Threats

    • Declining readership driven by the country’s poor culture of reading.
    • Growing completion for advertising spend, with the tech giants increasingly eroding market share.
    • The demise of print media, with the decline in circulation set to accelerate.
    • The devaluation of the South African Rand against major currencies, which would drive up the cost of imported publications, as well as products such as coated paper.
    • The possible signing into law of the “Secrecy Bill” or other legislation and actions that curtail media freedom and/or threaten the lives of journalists.

    Outlook

    With print circulation figures in free fall and a groundswell of disruption sweeping across the South African media publishing landscape, several stakeholders warn that the future prospects of the industry appear grim. They say that many of the country’s media publishers will need to downsize or diversify if they are to remain sustainable. Speaking at the World Media and Economic Management Conference held in May 2018, Francis Mdlongwa of the Sol Plaatje Institute for Media Leadership at Rhodes University said, “We live in a rapidly changing world, yet media are not being innovative and are not doing enough to adapt.” With competition from the world’s tech giants set to intensify, fake news proliferating and disruption becoming the ‘new normal’, the unequivocal message emanating from the conference was that the media publishing industry would have to ‘adapt or die’. Role players say that restoring trust in the media through the creation of credible, compelling content has become an industry imperative.

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    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa
    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2018

    Full Report

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $101.31 (USD)*

    Buy Now +

    Industry Landscape

    R 1 330.00(ZAR) estimated $ 70.92 (USD)*

    Buy Now +

    Historical Reports

    The Print and Digital Media Publishing Industry in South Africa 2024-02-29

    R 9 500.00(ZAR) estimated $506.54 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2020-05-19

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $101.31 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2015-02-25

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $101.31 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2014-01-28

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $101.31 (USD)*

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    Table of Contents

    [ Close ]
    PAGE
    1. INTRODUCTION 1
    2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 1
    2.1. Industry Value Chain 3
    2.2. Geographic Position 4
    3. SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY 5
    4. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 21
    4.1. Local 21
    4.1.1. Corporate Actions 26
    4.1.2. Regulations 28
    4.1.3. Enterprise Development and Social Economic Development 31
    4.2. Continental 32
    4.3. International 33
    5. INFLUENCING FACTORS 35
    5.1. Economic Environment 35
    5.2. Rising Operational Costs 35
    5.3. Technology, Research & Development (R&D) and Innovation 36
    5.4. Content 38
    5.5. Advertising 39
    5.6. Labour 40
    5.7. Environmental Concerns 41
    6. COMPETITION 42
    6.1. Barriers to Entry 44
    7. SWOT ANALYSIS 44
    8. OUTLOOK 45
    9. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 46
    10. REFERENCES 46
    10.1. Publications 46
    10.2. Websites 47
    COMPANY PROFILES 49
    3S MEDIA (PTY) LTD 49
    A C BRABY (PTY) LTD 51
    AFROTONE MEDIA HOLDINGS (PTY) LTD 53
    AMAZON.COM INC 55
    ASSOCIATED MEDIA PUBLISHING (PTY) LTD 59
    CAXTON AND CTP PUBLISHERS AND PRINTERS LTD 61
    CONDE NAST INDEPENDENT MAGAZINES (PTY) LTD 66
    CREAMER MEDIA (PTY) LTD 68
    CROWN PUBLICATIONS CC 70
    DB VOLEK 72
    EDUFLEX (PTY) LTD 73
    EE PUBLISHERS (PTY) LTD 75
    GREYMATTER AND FINCH (PTY) LTD 77
    HIGHBURY MEDIA (PTY) LTD 79
    INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS (PTY) LTD 81
    INTERACT MEDIA DEFINED (PTY) LTD 84
    IT WEB (PTY) LTD 86
    JUTA AND COMPANY (PTY) LTD 88
    KAQALA MEDIA (PTY) LTD 91
    LEXISNEXIS (PTY) LTD 93
    M AND G MEDIA LTD 96
    MACMILLAN SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD 99
    MANDLA-MATLA PUBLISHING (PTY) LTD 102
    MARAMEDIA (PTY) LTD 104
    MEDIA24 (PTY) LTD 106
    MEDICAL AND PHARMACEUTICAL PUBLICATIONS (PTY) LTD 114
    MONEYWEB HOLDINGS LTD 116
    NASOU VIA AFRIKA (PTY) LTD 118
    NETLEARN UPDATE CC 121
    NEW MEDIA PUBLISHING (PTY) LTD 123
    NOW MEDIA (PTY) LTD 127
    OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS SOUTHERN AFRICA (PTY) LTD 129
    PAN MACMILLAN SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD 133
    PANORAMA MEDIA CORPORATION (PTY) LTD 135
    PEARSON SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD 137
    PUBLISHING PARTNERSHIP (PTY) LTD (THE) 140
    TECHNEWS PUBLISHING (PTY) LTD 142
    TISO BLACKSTAR GROUP (PTY) LTD 144
    TRANSUNION AFRICA (PTY) LTD 147

    Report coverage

    The Print and Digital Media Publishing report describes current conditions and recent trends including the substantial investment into digital platforms that has seen print media publishers evolve into multi-media companies. The report profiles 34 companies, including the “Big Four”: Media24, the largest publisher of newspapers and magazines in South Africa; the Times Media Group Limited (TMG), formerly known as Avusa Limited; Caxton / CTP Publishers and Printers Limited, which has more than 130 community newspaper titles in its stable; and Independent News & Media South Africa (INMSA) whose Independent Online (IOL) is one of South Africa’s leading online news brands. Also profiled are e-learning companies, publishers of e-textbooks, journals and consumer e-books as well as electronic business-to-business publishers.

    Report coverage

    The Print and Digital Media Publishing report describes current conditions and recent trends including the substantial investment into digital platforms that has seen print media publishers evolve into multi-media companies. The report profiles 34 companies, including the “Big Four”: Media24, the largest publisher of newspapers and magazines in South Africa; the Times Media Group Limited (TMG), formerly known as Avusa Limited; Caxton / CTP Publishers and Printers Limited, which has more than 130 community newspaper titles in its stable; and Independent News & Media South Africa (INMSA) whose Independent Online (IOL) is one of South Africa’s leading online news brands. Also profiled are e-learning companies, publishers of e-textbooks, journals and consumer e-books as well as electronic business-to-business publishers.

    Introduction

    This report focuses on South Africa’s R20bn media publishing industry, which incorporates the publication of newspapers, magazines and journals in both print and digital format. In recent years, the traditional print media has been obliged to reinvent itself to avert cannibalisation by digital media sites. Media publishers, already grappling to find solutions to dwindling print circulation and shrinking advertising spend, currently find themselves in a rapidly evolving environment that is driven by the demands of social media savvy consumers who increasingly expect succinct, bite-size snippets of news and immediate news updates. The radical rise of Twitter as a powerful journalistic tool came to the fore during the trials of celebrity athlete Oscar Pistorius and British ‘Honeymoon Murder’ accused, Shrien Dewani. Other critical issues facing the global media publishing industry include the safety of journalists and challenges to press freedom. These threats came into sharp focus following the beheading of journalists by Islamic State terrorists and the gunning down of the editor and ten other staff members of the French weekly publication, Charlie Hebdo.

    Strengths

    • Media publishers have developed an online presence and are represented on multiple digital platforms.
    • South Africa has a dynamic, well-developed media publishing industry, which produces a diverse variety of high quality publications.

    Weaknesses

    • Printing and distribution costs are high.
    • Specialised editorial staff and other skilled personnel are in short supply.
    • The sector is dominated by four major players.

    Opportunities

    • Developing customised magazines for the emerging black middle-class market.
    • Publications targeting young readers, in order to nurture the development of a reading market.
    • The development of additional indigenous African language publications.
    • The exploitation of existing digital platforms, as well as the creation and monetising of new online and mobile media distribution channels, including social media.

    Threats

    • Declining readership: South Africa’s weak culture of reading, compounded by a relatively low level of literacy, impacts negatively on circulation.
    • For some players, the advertising of government tenders online instead of in the print media.
    • Legislation and actions that curtail media freedom and/or threaten the lives of journalists.
    • Power blackouts and load-shedding, which affect publishers’ ability to meet editorial and print deadlines.
    • Rising production and distribution costs.
    • The devaluation of the South African Rand against major currencies, which continues to drive up the cost of imported publications, as well as products such as coated paper.
    • The further cannibalisation of print media by digital sites, resulting in falling circulation and a decline in advertising spend.

    Outlook

    The interests of democratic societies are served by a robust, unshackled press. In view of this, some stakeholders remain optimistic that President Zuma will avert a challenge in the Constitutional Court by refraining from signing the controversial Protection of State Information Bill (POSIB). Given the importance of the role played by the news media globally, analysts believe that the development of sustainable business models for the print and digital news media is of critical importance, both for the global media publishing industry and for the world as a whole. Presenting the annual World Press Trends survey at the 66th World Newspaper Congress, 21st World Editors’ Forum and 24th World Advertising Forum held in Turin, Italy in June 2014, Larry Kilman, Secretary General of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) said, “Unless we crack the revenue issue, and provide sufficient funds so that newspapers can fulfil their societal role, democracy will inevitably be weakened.” Although ‘Big News’ stories cause copy sales to surge, analysts caution that print circulation, as well as print advertising spend will continue to contract. While New Media remains on an upward trajectory, revenue generated by digital offerings will not be able to offset the losses sustained by the traditional print media. Of particular concern to stakeholders are the recent findings of the South African Research Foundation (SAARF), which reveal that readership is declining in South Africa. They warn that the future prospects of the industry will be bleak if interventions to promote a culture of reading in South Africa are not prioritised as a matter of urgency.

    Read More..
    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa
    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2015

    Full Report

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $101.31 (USD)*

    Buy Now +

    Industry Landscape

    R 1 330.00(ZAR) estimated $ 70.92 (USD)*

    Buy Now +

    Historical Reports

    The Print and Digital Media Publishing Industry in South Africa 2024-02-29

    R 9 500.00(ZAR) estimated $506.54 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2020-05-19

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $101.31 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2018-07-11

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $101.31 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2014-01-28

    R 1 900.00(ZAR) estimated $101.31 (USD)*

    View Report Add to Cart

    Table of Contents

    [ Close ]
    PAGE
    1. INTRODUCTION 1
    2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 1
    2.1. Industry Supply Chain 3
    2.2. Geographic Position 4
    3. SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY 5
    4. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 28
    4.1. Local 28
    4.1.1. Newspaper Publishing 29
    4.1.2. Magazine Publishing 30
    4.1.3. Corporate Actions 32
    4.1.4. Regulations 34
    4.1.5. Enterprise Development and Socio-Economic Development 37
    4.2. Continental 41
    4.3. International 43
    4.3.1. Newspaper Publishing 44
    4.3.2. Magazine Publishing 45
    5. INFLUENCING FACTORS 46
    5.1. Government Intervention 46
    5.2. Economic Environment 46
    5.3. Rising Input Costs 47
    5.4. Information Technology and Technology 47
    5.5. Labour 49
    5.6. Advertising 51
    5.7. Content 52
    5.8. Environmental Concerns 53
    6. COMPETITION 54
    6.1. Barriers to Entry 55
    6.2. Innovation 55
    6.3. Research and Development (R&D) 56
    7. SWOT ANALYSIS 57
    8. OUTLOOK 58
    9. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 58
    10. REFERENCES 60
    10.1. Publications 60
    10.2. Websites 60
    ORGANOGRAM 62
    COMPANY PROFILES 66
    3S MEDIA (PTY) LTD 66
    AC BRABY (PTY) LTD 68
    ALLIED PUBLISHING LTD 70
    AMAZON.COM INC 72
    ASSOCIATED MEDIA PUBLISHING (PTY) LTD 76
    BDFM PUBLISHERS (PTY) LTD 78
    BROOKE PATTRICK PUBLICATIONS (PTY) LTD 80
    CAXTON & CTP PUBLISHERS & PRINTERS LTD 82
    CONDE NAST INDEPENDENT MAGAZINES (PTY) LTD 87
    CREAMER MEDIA (PTY) LTD 89
    CROWN PUBLICATIONS CC 91
    eDEGREE (PTY) LTD 92
    EE PUBLISHERS (PTY) LTD 94
    GREYMATTER & FINCH (PTY) LTD 96
    HIGHBURY SAFIKA MEDIA (PTY) LTD 98
    INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS (PTY) LTD 100
    INFIXION MEDIA (PTY) LTD 104
    INTERCOMM SOUTH AFRICA 106
    IT WEB LTD 108
    JUTA & COMPANY LTD 110
    KAGISO MEDIA LTD 113
    KAQALA MEDIA (PTY) LTD 116
    LEARNING CHANNEL (PTY) LTD 118
    LEXISNEXIS (PTY) LTD 120
    M&G MEDIA LTD 122
    MACMILLAN SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD 125
    MANDLA-MATLA PUBLISHING (PTY) LTD 129
    MARAMEDIA (PTY) LTD 131
    MARTIN STABREY SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP 133
    MASKEW MILLER LONGMAN (PTY) LTD 134
    MEDIA24 (PTY) LTD 137
    MEDICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL PUBLICATIONS (PTY) LTD 144
    MONEYWEB HOLDINGS LTD 146
    NASOU VIA AFRIKA LTD 148
    NETLEARN UPDATE CC 151
    NEW MEDIA PUBLISHERS (PTY) LTD 152
    NOW MEDIA (PTY) LTD 155
    PANORAMA MEDIA CORPORATION (PTY) LTD 157
    PUBLISHING PARTNERSHIP (PTY) LTD (THE) 159
    QUANTUM PUBLISHERS (PTY) LTD 161
    RAMSAY MEDIA (PTY) LTD 163
    SIYAVULA EDUCATION (PTY) LTD 168
    TECHNEWS PUBLISHING (PTY) LTD 170
    TIMES MEDIA (PTY) LTD 173
    TNA MEDIA (PTY) LTD 176
    TOPCO MEDIA (PTY) LTD 178
    TRANSUNION AFRICA (PTY) LTD 180
    TRESSO TRADING 242 (PTY) LTD 182

    Introduction

    Over the past decade, numerous print media titles have been discontinued, with digital making inroads into the media landscape, decimating circulation and prompting a major overhaul of the entire publishing sector. Although the convergence of traditional media and New Media has resulted in a high level of integration, the relationship between print and digital has proved to be anything but symbiotic. Indeed, the expansion of digitisation has been at the expense of print media, with advertising allocations to newspapers and magazines declining from 40% to 29% within the space of ten years. While a recently released international study conducted by Future Exploration Network suggests that newspapers in the United States will be extinct by 2017, South African publishers believe that it will be more than twenty years before local printing presses are switched off. However, numerous stakeholders warn that the digital-driven demise of Seventeen South Africa, which printed its final issue in December 2013, does not bode well for the future of the sector. This report focuses on print media publishing in South Africa, siccode 32420, with a specific focus on the publication of newspapers, magazines and journals. While the uptake in New Media has seen a growing number of media publishers place digital content behind pay-walls, the monetisation of online and mobile platforms remains a significant challenge. As digitisation redefines the traditional channels of media publishing, stakeholders are repositioning themselves to meet changing consumption trends. The year under review has been characterised by upheaval, with ownership of two of the sector’s major media houses changing hands. Sweeping changes are expected to continue, as players seek solutions to the challenges facing the industry.

    Strengths

    • South Africa has a dynamic, well-developed media publishingindustry, which produces a variety of high qualitypublications. Freedom of expression is enshrined in the South African Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Media publishers have developed an online presence and are represented on multiple digital platform.

    Weaknesses

    • The sector is dominated by four players. The slow rate of transformation in the sector has placed the industry on a collision path with the government, which is calling for greater regulation of the industry.A weak culture of reading, compounded by South Africa’s relatively low level of literacy, impacts negatively oncirculation. Specialised editorial staff and other skilled personnel are in short supply. Printing and distribution costs are high.

    Opportunities

    • Developing customised magazines for the emerging middleclass market.
    • The development of a reading culture, through publications targeting young readers, in order to nurture the development of a reading market.
    • The development of additional indigenous African language publications.
    • The exploitation of existing digital platforms, as well as the creation and monetising of new online and mobile media distribution channels.

    Threats

    • The uptake in digital, which will ultimately lead to the demiseof print media publishing.Declining advertising spend.The passing into law of proposed legislation that will curtail media freedom. Rising production and distribution costs. The devaluation of the South African Rand against major currencies, which continues to drive up the cost of imported publications, as well as products such as coated paper.

    Outlook

    The explosive uptake of online and mobile media platforms, that has precipitated the digital-driven demise of the traditional print media, has prompted publishers to fast-track the development of effective strategies to monetise digital content. The publishing media arena is expected to become increasingly competitive as publishers endeavour to expand their online and mobile penetration. Although digital advertising expenditure is predicted to increase exponentially, analysts believe that advertising revenues derived from online and mobile platforms will not adequately off-set the losses that print media divisions are expected to sustain over the next four years. Stakeholders contend that the days of free online information are numbered and that digital content will increasingly be placed behind of pay-walls. As publishers increasingly integrate new incarnations of newspapers, magazines and journals into their portfolios, stakeholders warn that the industry will have to continue evolving - reminding itself that it is in the business of content - and keep reinventing itself if it is to remain sustainable.

    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa
    The Print and Digital Publishing Media Industry in South Africa 2014

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    Table of Contents

    [ Close ]
    PAGE
    1. INTRODUCTION 1
    2. DESCRIPTION OF THE INDUSTRY 1
    2.1. Industry Supply Chain 2
    3. SIZE OF THE INDUSTRY 2
    4. STATE OF THE INDUSTRY 10
    4.1. Local 10
    4.1.1. Corporate Actions 15
    4.1.2. Regulations 16
    4.1.3. Black Economic Empowerment 18
    4.2. Continental 18
    4.3. International 20
    5. INFLUENCING FACTORS 21
    5.1. Economic Environment 21
    5.2. Rising Input Costs 21
    5.3. Information Technology and Technology 21
    5.4. Labour Resources 22
    5.5. Environmental Concerns 23
    5.6. Advertising 23
    5.7. Content 25
    6. COMPETITION 25
    6.1. Barriers to Entry 26
    6.2. Research and Development (R&D) 26
    6.3. Innovation 26
    7. SWOT ANALYSIS 27
    8. OUTLOOK 27
    9. INDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONS 27
    10. REFERENCES 28
    10.1. Publications 28
    10.2. Websites 29
    APPENDIX 1 30
    Mainstream Publications in the Media24 Stable 30
    Mainstream Publications in the INMSA Stable 30
    Mainstream Publications in the TMG Stable 31
    Mainstream Magazines in the Caxton/CTP Stable 31
    APPENDIX 2 32
    The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) South Africa: Circulation Figures - African Publications 32
    ORGANOGRAM 33
    COMPANY PROFILES 35
    3S MEDIA (PTY) LTD 35
    ASSOCIATED MEDIA PUBLISHING (PTY) LTD 36
    BDFM PUBLISHERS (PTY) LTD 38
    BROOKE PATTRICK PUBLICATIONS (PTY) LTD 40
    CAXTON & CTP PUBLISHERS & PRINTERS LTD 41
    CONDE NAST INDEPENDENT MAGAZINES (PTY) LTD 44
    CREAMER MEDIA (PTY) LTD 45
    CROWN PUBLICATIONS CC 46
    EE PUBLISHERS (PTY) LTD 47
    HIGHBURY SAFIKA MEDIA (PTY) LTD 48
    INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS (PTY) LTD 49
    INFIXION MEDIA (PTY) LTD 51
    KAQALA MEDIA (PTY) LTD 52
    M&G MEDIA LTD 53
    MANDLA-MATLA PUBLISHING (PTY) LTD 55
    MEDIA24 (PTY) LTD 56
    MEDICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL PUBLICATIONS (PTY) LTD 60
    NEW MEDIA PUBLISHERS (PTY) LTD 62
    NOW MEDIA (PTY) LTD 64
    PANORAMA PUBLICATIONS (PTY) LTD 65
    PUBLISHING PARTNERSHIP (PTY) LTD (THE) 66
    QUANTUM PUBLISHERS (PTY) LTD 67
    RAMSAY MEDIA (PTY) LTD 68
    TECHNEWS PUBLISHING (PTY) LTD 71
    TIMES MEDIA (PTY) LTD 73
    TNA MEDIA (PTY) LTD 75
    TOPCO MEDIA (PTY) LTD 76
    TRANSUNION AFRICA (PTY) LTD 77

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