African Reporter
About African Reporter
“Newspapers continue to reign supreme in the delivery of local news. If you want to know what’s going on in your town – whether the news is about the mayor or taxes or high school football – there is no substitute for a local newspaper that is doing its job. A reader’s eyes may glaze over after they take in a couple of paragraphs about [national or international news]; but a story about the reader himself or his neighbours will be read to the end.” – Warren Buffet.
The African Reporter is one of the largest, and best selling, sold community papers in the country. It is the premium sold community paper on the East Rand enjoying an extensive distribution of close to 20 000 issue per week.
The paper was originally launched in 1963 to fill a niche readership market – catering specifically to the residents in the townships across the East Rand – and celebrates it 50th birthday in 2013. Although it was started in 1958 by the Dannheisser family, it was initially published irregularly. It became an official weekly paper in 1963.
48 5th Avenue
Springs CDB
Tel: (011) 812 4800
The Team
The Digital Team
Classifieds
Pubs, DJs and chilling spots can send us their weekend gigs free of charge. And no need to worry about making phone calls to inform relatives about the funerals of loved ones, as the African Reporter’s classifieds section specialises in funeral notices.Mavela Tshabala was the paper’s first chief reporter. Ekurhuleni media spokesman Sam Modiba and mayoral spokesman Zweli Dlamini are among the journalists who have cut their media teeth in the African Reporter newsroom.In 2013 the paper introduced a small amount of Zulu copy to better align itself with the readership. We hope that in time we will extend this offering to allow readers to send in their poetry in Zulu.
- 60% of our readers are women and 40% are men.
- 65% of our readers are Zulu speaking.
- 37% of our readers have school-going children.
- 42% work full time.
- 72% of our readers fall in the LSM 6 and 7 groups.
- There are 109 000 households in Tsakane and KwaThema with 182 000 decision makers.
- Of these decision makers, 67% read the African Reporter – a bonus for our advertisers and any sports clubs, pubs and entertainment venues around Kwatsaduza hoping to attract visitors or spectators.
- In comparison other publications enjoy far lower readership by this pool of decision makers with our nerest competitor, The Daily Sun, being read by 42% of these people. 15% read the Sunday Sun and 15% purchase The Sunday Times.
Distribution
The African Reporter is distributed by 46 self-employed vendors who each choose the areas in which they sell the newspaper. The paper targets readers in Tsakane, KwaThema and Duduza and is also sold in Springs, Brakpan, Nigel, Daveyton, Geluksdal and Dunswart. The paper is also sold from our offices in the Springs CBD.
What makes the African Reporter a lucrative venture for our vendors is that it provides a great money-making opportunity for vendors, who stand to make 100% profit when they sell the African Reporter. One hundred papers cost you R75 and one copy is sold for R1.50. If a vendor sells all 100, they will make R75 profit.
Total distribution: 22 000 – Delivered on Fridays
How Caxton prints local newspapers
