South Africa all Newspaper list
South Africa all Newspaper list
Regional & City Dailies
Community & Local Newspapers
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News Sites & Portals
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South Africa’s media landscape is one of the most vibrant, diverse, and free in Africa. With 11 official languages, a painful history of apartheid censorship, and a constitutional guarantee of press freedom, the country hosts hundreds of newspapers — from national dailies read by millions to hyper-local community titles and digital-first news platforms. Whether you’re searching for South Africa newspapers list
The Evolution of South African Newspapers
South African journalism traces its roots to 1800 when the Cape Town Gazette and African Advertiser became the continent’s first newspaper under British colonial rule. The 19th and early 20th centuries saw titles like The Cape Argus (1857), Natal Witness (1846), and Die Burger (1915) emerge, often reflecting colonial or Afrikaner nationalist perspectives.
During apartheid (1948–1994), the press was sharply divided:
- Pro-government Afrikaans titles (Die Burger, Beeld, Volksblad)
- “Alternative” English papers (Rand Daily Mail, The Star) that exposed injustices
- Black and anti-apartheid publications (Drum, Post, New Nation) that operated under constant banning orders
The turning point came in the early 1990s. The Rand Daily Mail closed in 1985 after exposing prison atrocities, but new titles like the Weekly Mail (now Mail & Guardian), Sowetan, and City Press filled the gap. After 1994, South Africa’s press freedom ranking soared — it regularly places in the top 30 globally (Reporters Without Borders 2025: 25th).
Today, the industry faces digital disruption. Print circulation has declined dramatically (Sunday Times dropped from 500,000 in 2010 to under 190,000 in 2024), while digital giants News24, Daily Maverick, and IOL dominate online readership, with News24 alone recording 14+ million monthly unique browsers in 2025.
South Africa’s Media Giants: Ownership and Reach in 2025
Four major groups dominate:
- Arena Holdings (formerly Times Media Group) – Sunday Times, Sowetan, Business Day
- Media24 (Naspers subsidiary) – City Press, Rapport, Beeld, Die Burger, Volksblad, Daily Sun
- Independent Media (Sekunjalo/Iqraa) – Cape Times, The Star, IOL, Pretoria News
- Caxton & CTP – Citizen, local weeklies across provinces
Despite consolidation, independent digital players like Daily Maverick, News24 (standalone since 2023), and GroundUp have gained massive credibility and readership.
Complete List of South African Newspapers (2025)
English National Dailies & Sunday Papers
The Sunday Times
- Publisher: Arena Holdings
- Website: timeslive.co.za
- Circulation (2024-25 est.): 180,000 (print) + 8m digital
- Notes: South Africa’s biggest Sunday paper; investigative powerhouse
Daily Sun
- Publisher: Media24
- Website: dailysun.co.za
- Circulation (2024-25 est.): 120,000 (print) + 5m digital
- Notes: Tabloid; largest daily circulation
The Star
- Publisher: Independent Media
- Website: iol.co.za/the-star
- Circulation (2024-25 est.): 70,000
- Notes: Johannesburg-focused; oldest daily (1887)
Cape Times
- Publisher: Independent Media
- Website: iol.co.za/cape-times
- Circulation (2024-25 est.): 55,000
- Notes: Cape Town’s historic morning daily
Cape Argus
- Publisher: Independent Media
- Website: iol.co.za/cape-argus
- Circulation (2024-25 est.): 50,000
- Notes: Cape Town afternoon paper
The Citizen
- Publisher: Caxton
- Website: citizen.co.za
- Circulation (2024-25 est.): 45,000
- Notes: Compact daily; strong political coverage
Pretoria News
- Publisher: Independent Media
- Website: iol.co.za/pretoria-news
- Circulation (2024-25 est.): 35,000
- Notes: Gauteng capital focus
Daily Dispatch
- Publisher: Arena Holdings
- Website: dispatchlive.co.za
- Circulation (2024-25 est.): 30,000
- Notes: Eastern Cape’s leading daily
The Mercury
- Publisher: Independent Media
- Website: iol.co.za/mercury
- Circulation (2024-25 est.): 30,000
- Notes: Durban/KZN flagship
The Herald
- Publisher: Arena Holdings
- Website: heraldlive.co.za
- Circulation (2024-25 est.): 25,000
- Notes: Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha) daily
Business Day
- Publisher: Arena Holdings
- Website: businesslive.co.za
- Circulation (2024-25 est.): 25,000
- Notes: Leading business daily
Financial Mail
- Publisher: Arena Holdings
- Website: businesslive.co.za/fm
- Circulation (2024-25 est.): Weekly
- Notes: Top business weekly magazine
Afrikaans National & Regional Newspapers
Rapport
- Publisher: Media24
- Website: www.rapport.co.za
- Circulation: 130,000 (Sunday)
- Notes: Largest Afrikaans Sunday
Beeld
- Publisher: Media24
- Website: www.beeld.com / www.netnuus.co.za
- Circulation: 50,000 (daily)
- Notes: Gauteng edition
Die Burger
- Publisher: Media24
- Website: www.dieburger.com
- Circulation: 45,000 (daily)
- Notes: Western & Eastern Cape
Volksblad
- Publisher: Media24
- www.volksblad.com
- Circulation: 20,000
- Notes: Free State & Northern Cape
Major Weekend & Sunday Newspapers
City Press
- Day: Sunday
- Publisher: Media24
- Reach: 1.5m digital
Sunday World
- Day: Sunday
- Publisher: Arena Holdings
- Reach: 1.2m
Sunday Independent
- Day: Sunday
- Publisher: Independent Media
- Reach: 800k
Ilanga
- Day: Monday & Thursday
- Publisher: Zulu-language
- Reach: KZN leader
Isolezwe
- Day: Daily
- Publisher: Zulu (Independent)
- Reach: 100,000+
Community & Regional Newspapers
- Sowetan (Arena Holdings) – 90,000 daily, iconic black readership
- Johannesburg Saturday Star
- Rosebank Killarney Gazette
- Sandton Chronicle
- Tshwane Sun
- Die Son (Media24) – Afrikaans/Xhosa tabloid, 120,000 daily
- Athlone News
- Atlantic Sun
- Plainsman
- Southern Mail
- Isolezwe (Zulu daily)
- Ilanga LangeSonto (Sunday Zulu)
- Post (Durban community)
- Witness (Pietermaritzburg)
- Daily Dispatch (East London)
- The Herald (Gqeberha)
- Go! & Express
- Volksblad (Bloemfontein)
- Express (Northern Cape)
- Limpopo Mirror
- Zoutpansberger
- Lowvelder (Mbombela)
Digital-First & Independent News Platforms (2025 Leaders)
These outlets have no or minimal print editions but dominate online readership:
News24
- Monthly Unique Browsers (2025 est.): 14–16 million
- Focus: Breaking news, politics, sport
Daily Maverick
- Monthly Unique Browsers (2025 est.): 7–9 million
- Focus: Investigative journalism, opinion
IOL (Independent Online)
- Monthly Unique Browsers (2025 est.): 10+ million
- Focus: Network of regional sites
TimesLIVE
- Monthly Unique Browsers (2025 est.): 8 million
- Focus: Sunday Times digital home
EWN (Eyewitness News)
- Monthly Unique Browsers (2025 est.): 5 million
- Focus: Radio + digital breaking news
BusinessLIVE
- Monthly Unique Browsers (2025 est.): 4 million
- Focus: Business Day, Financial Mail
GroundUp
- Monthly Unique Browsers (2025 est.): 2.5 million
- Focus: Social justice, courts, communities
The South African
- Monthly Unique Browsers (2025 est.): 6 million
- Focus: Lifestyle, news, entertainment
SABC News Online
- Monthly Unique Browsers (2025 est.): 4 million
- Focus: Public broadcaster portal
Maroela Media
- Monthly Unique Browsers (2025 est.): 2 million
- Focus: Afrikaans digital-first
Netwerk24
- Monthly Unique Browsers (2025 est.): 1.5 million
- Focus: Afrikaans paywall platform
African-Language Newspapers
Despite low print circulation, these titles remain culturally vital:
Isolezwe
- Language: isiZulu
- Frequency: Daily
- Publisher: Independent
Ilanga
- Language: isiZulu
- Frequency: Bi-weekly
- Publisher: Ilanga Media
UmAfrika
- Language: isiZulu
- Frequency: Weekly
- Publisher: Methodist Church
Die Son
- Language: Afrikaans + isiXhosa sections
- Frequency: Daily
- Publisher: Media24
City Press isiZulu
- Language: isiZulu edition
- Frequency: Sunday
- Publisher: Media24
Business, Finance & Niche Publications
- Business Day / BusinessLIVE
- Financial Mail
- Finweek (Afrikaans/English)
- Moneyweb
- Daily Investor
- Farmer’s Weekly
- Landbouweekblad (Afrikaans)
Student & Campus Newspapers
- Wits Vuvuzela (University of Witwatersrand)
- Activate (Rhodes University)
- UCT Varsity
- Tuks FM & Perdeby (University of Pretoria)
Defunct but Historically Important Titles
- Rand Daily Mail (closed 1985)
- Drum (1951–present, now monthly magazine)
- The World (banned 1977)
- New Nation
- Vrye Weekblad (revived digitally)
Top 10 Most Influential South African News Sources in 2025
- News24 – Unrivalled breaking news machine
- Daily Maverick – Gold standard for investigative journalism
- Sunday Times / TimesLIVE – Still the agenda-setter on Sundays
- Daily Sun – Voice of working-class South Africa
- Sowetan – Black consciousness legacy
- eNCA + EWN – 24-hour TV/radio/digital combo
- Business Day / BusinessLIVE – Essential for markets
- IOL network – Massive regional reach
- GroundUp – Trusted for under-reported stories
- SABC News – Public broadcaster with widest broadcast reach
The Future of South African Newspapers: Trends to Watch in 2026–2030
- Paywalls & memberships: Daily Maverick, News24 Premium, Netwerk24 growing fast
- WhatsApp & TikTok news: Many titles now distribute via WhatsApp channels
- Podcast boom: Daily Maverick’s “Don’t Shoot the Messenger”, News24’s “The Story”
- Community-funded journalism: GroundUp model expanding
- AI-assisted reporting: Already used for sports results and court summaries
- Print decline continues: Expect more dailies to go weekly or digital-only
Your Go-To Guide for South African News
South Africa’s newspaper landscape in 2025 reflects its rainbow nation identity — multilingual, fiercely independent, and rapidly evolving. Whether you need hard-hitting investigations from Daily Maverick, township stories from Daily Sun, business intelligence from Business Day, or real-time updates from News24, there’s a publication for every reader.
Bookmark this ultimate South Africa newspapers list for journalists, researchers, expats, students, or anyone staying informed about Mzansi. The press remains one of the country’s proudest democratic achievements — loud, diverse, and unapologetically South African.
