Why Journalists are Like Electricians

The “Total Shutdowns”

The New Age (rebranded as Afro Voice):

• Closed: June 2018
• Reason: Closely linked to the Gupta family and “state capture” era. Once government advertising (its primary revenue stream) was pulled following the political shift in 2017/2018, the model collapsed.
• Comparison: At its peak, it claimed a circulation of 100,000+ (though audited figures were often disputed). It has no current online presence.

Vrye Weekblad (The 2019 Relaunch):

• Closed: March 2025.
• Reason: After relaunching as a digital-only title in 2019, it struggled to convert “widely read” free content into enough paid subscriptions to cover costs once subsidies ended.
• Comparison: Transitioned from a legendary anti-apartheid print past to a digital archive. It currently exists only as a digital archive.

Weekend Post & Daily Dispatch Weekend:

• Closed: 2024.
• Reason: Arena Holdings consolidated regional operations. The weekend editions were no longer viable against the massive Sunday Times dominance and rising digital consumption.
• Comparison: Readership folded into the daily Daily Dispatch and Herald digital platforms (DispatchLIVE and HeraldLIVE).

3. Iconic Local Closures

• Midland News & Graaff-Reinet Advertiser: Closed in 2024/2025 after 140 years of publication. The reason was a total collapse of local business advertising, which previously sustained these small-town stalwarts.

Summary of Reasons for Decline

•  The “Platform” Effect: Advertising money that used to stay in South Africa now flows largely to Google and Meta.
• Print Inflation: The cost of paper and ink rose by as much as 45% in some years, while cover prices couldn’t keep up.
• The COVID-19 Impact: Many “die-hard” print readers switched to digital during lockdown and simply never went back to buying a physical paper.
• Load Shedding: While it sounds odd, printing presses and distribution chains were heavily disrupted by the power crisis, making timely deliveries expensive and difficult.
• Fun Fact: Even though the Daily Sun’s print circulation plummeted by nearly 90%, it still reaches millions online. The “audience” is bigger than ever; it’s just the monetization of that audience that remains the industry’s biggest headache.

Nelson Mandela Bay is a Stronghold:

While many of the big national “legacy” newspapers are closing their print editions, the Eastern Cape—and specifically the Nelson Mandela Bay Metro—is actually a bit of a stronghold for community print media.

In your target areas of Gqeberha and Kariega, the local “Express” model is still very much alive and well. These papers have survived because they focus on the “small news” that big national sites ignore: school rugby scores, municipal water updates, and local business openings.

Here is the status of the community papers in NMB as of early 2026:

1. PE Express (Gqeberha)

This is the “big dog” of local media in the Bay. While national dailies like Beeld or Daily Sun folded their print versions, PE Express remains a staple.

• Status: Very Active in Print.
• Reach: They still claim a weekly distribution of roughly 120,000 free copies, delivered door-to-door in Gqeberha.
• The Survival Factor: Because it is free to the reader and funded entirely by local advertising (Walmer builders, Newton Park doctors, etc.), it bypasses the “paywall fatigue” that killed other papers.
• Online Readership: Their digital presence (peexpress.co.za) and social media following are massive, but interestingly, the physical paper is still highly valued for the local grocery inserts.

2. UD Express (Kariega / Uitenhage)

The “UD” stands for Uitenhage/Despatch, and this paper remains the primary voice for the industrial hub.

• Status: Active in Print & E-Edition.
• Reach: Targeted heavily toward Kariega and Despatch residents.
• Online Presence: They have successfully transitioned to a “Hybrid” model. If you miss the physical copy, locals heavily use the E-Edition (Flipbook) on their website.
• Why it survives: Kariega is a tight-knit community. The UD Express is where you see your neighbor’s kid in the paper for a sports award, which is high-value “social currency” that keeps the paper on kitchen tables.

3. The Herald (Gqeberha – Daily)

While not a “community” weekly, it is the regional daily.

• Status: Active (Daily).
• Print vs. Online: Their print circulation has dipped (now hovering around 10,000–12,000 copies daily), but their online “Audience” (combined web and print) is estimated at over 400,000 monthly users.
• Comparison: You can reach 10,000 people through their morning paper, or 400,000 through their HeraldLIVE site.

Comparison: Print at Close vs. Online Now