Media24
Media24 is a South African media group operating digital news, newspapers, magazines, television production and book publishing businesses.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Media24 is a South African media company wholly owned by Naspers and headquartered in Cape Town. Its activities span digital news, newspapers, magazines, advertising and content-marketing services, television production and broadcasting, and educational and trade book publishing. The company developed from the South African media assets associated with the Naspers group and has historically operated across both Afrikaans- and English-language publishing markets. Its best-known digital properties include News24 and Netwerk24. News24 is an English-language digital news service and one of South Africa’s largest news platforms, while Netwerk24 provides Afrikaans-language news and subscription content. Media24 also operates or owns a wide range of print and publishing brands, including Daily Sun, Die Burger, Rapport, Huisgenoot, You, Drum, Sarie, Kuier, Fairlady, Visi, Tuis | Home, Weg! and Go!. Its book businesses include Jonathan Ball Publishers, NB Publishers, Van Schaik Publishers and Via Afrika. In television and video, the group has been associated with VIA and POP24. Media24 has been reshaping its portfolio as audiences, advertising and circulation have moved from print to digital channels. The company’s strategy has increasingly emphasized digital subscriptions, online publishing, video, data, technology and content services, while reducing exposure to structurally declining print activities. The 2020 COVID-19 period accelerated this transition, prompting magazine and newspaper closures, reduced publishing frequencies, outsourced production and conversions of selected titles to digital-only formats. The group also separated its printing operations from the core business. In 2015, the Paarl Media Group printing division was rebranded as Novus Holdings and listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. In 2024, Media24 announced the proposed sale of its media-logistics business, On the Dot, together with community and specialist publications, to Novus Holdings. It also stated that the final print editions of several titles would appear by the end of 2024, with the associated brands continuing digitally from January 2025. Media24 remains a significant South African publisher despite the contraction of legacy media. In the supplied 2025 reference material, Media24 was identified as South Africa’s leading publisher by page views in May 2025, while News24 and Netwerk24 together reported more than 211,000 paid subscribers in Naspers’ six-month period ending 30 September 2025. The company’s operating model combines mass-market journalism, subscription publishing, specialist and consumer magazines, television content, advertising services and book distribution. Its competitive position depends on maintaining trusted local news brands while converting audiences and commercial activity from print to digital platforms.
History
Media24 forms part of the South African media businesses historically developed within the Naspers group. Its portfolio reflects the country’s multilingual publishing market, combining Afrikaans and English newspapers, magazines, news websites, television content and book publishing. Rather than being limited to one format, the company has operated as an integrated media house whose assets have changed as technology, advertising and consumer habits evolved. For much of its history, print publishing was central to Media24’s business. Newspapers and magazines supplied mass audiences and advertising inventory, while the group’s publishing and distribution operations supported educational, trade and general-interest books. Brands such as Daily Sun, Die Burger, Rapport, Huisgenoot, You and Drum became important components of its consumer-facing portfolio. Alongside these titles, the company developed digital properties, most notably News24 and Netwerk24, allowing it to serve readers through websites, mobile experiences and subscription products. A major structural change occurred in 2015 when Media24 separated its printing division, Paarl Media Group. The business was rebranded as Novus Holdings and listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. This transaction reduced the direct integration between Media24’s publishing operations and printing infrastructure and created a separately traded printing and manufacturing company. The economics of the print business came under increasing pressure during the 2010s. Digital advertising captured a growing share of marketing expenditure, audiences migrated to online news and social platforms, and physical circulation declined in several categories. A predatory-pricing case involving Media24’s community newspapers in the Goldfields region produced a lengthy regulatory and legal process. The Competition Tribunal found a contravention of section 8(c) of the Competition Act in 2015 and subsequently imposed behavioural remedies. The Competition Appeal Court set aside that decision on the merits in March 2018, and the Constitutional Court dismissed the Competition Commission’s appeal in July 2019. The final outcome did not leave a contravention proven. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the pressure on print. In 2020, Media24 announced a restructuring of parts of its newspaper and magazine portfolio. Measures included closing some titles, reducing publication frequency, outsourcing elements of production and moving selected products to digital-only formats. These actions reflected both the immediate commercial shock caused by the pandemic and longer-term changes in media consumption. Between 2020 and 2021, Media24 also proposed and completed the unwind of the Welkom Yizani broad-based black economic empowerment scheme. Shareholders approved the cash repurchase of all Welkom Yizani shares in January 2021, after which the arrangement was unwound. By 2024, Media24 was pursuing a more explicit digital-first strategy centered on News24 and Netwerk24. In October of that year, the company said it had received Competition Commission approval for the sale of On the Dot, its media-logistics business, together with selected community and specialist publications, to Novus Holdings. Media24 also announced that several print titles would publish final physical editions by the end of 2024 and continue digitally from January 2025. The changes represented a further concentration on digital news, subscriptions, video, advertising and content services. The company’s contemporary structure is organized around Media24 Media, Media24 TV and Media24 Books. Media24 Media covers digital publishing, magazines and advertising or content-marketing services; Media24 TV covers television production and broadcasting; and Media24 Books covers educational and trade publishing and distribution. The group remains wholly owned by Naspers. Its current identity is therefore that of a diversified South African content company balancing strong local brands and subscription products against the continuing decline of traditional print economics.
- 2024
Digital-first transition accelerated
[1]Media24 announced the proposed transfer of On the Dot and selected publications to Novus Holdings and outlined the end of print editions for several titles.
- 2021
Welkom Yizani scheme unwound
[1]Following shareholder approval, Media24 completed the cash repurchase of all Welkom Yizani shares.
- 2020
Print portfolio restructuring
[1]Media24 reorganized parts of its magazine and newspaper portfolio, including closures, frequency reductions, outsourced production and digital-only transitions.
- 2019
Constitutional Court dismisses Competition Commission appeal
[1]The dismissal ended the appeal process and left no contravention proven in the Goldfields newspaper matter.
- 2018
Competition Appeal Court sets aside Goldfields pricing finding
[1]The Competition Appeal Court set aside the Competition Tribunal’s finding in the community-newspaper predatory-pricing matter on the merits.
- 2015
Paarl Media Group becomes Novus Holdings
[1]Media24 separated its printing division, rebranded it as Novus Holdings and completed a listing of the printing business on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
Products and positioning
A broad South African media house transitioning from a print-led portfolio toward digital-first news, subscriptions, video and publishing services, with major English- and Afrikaans-language brands.
Digital news
News24
News24 is Media24’s English-language digital news platform and one of South Africa’s most prominent online news brands. It provides general news, politics, business, sport, lifestyle and other editorial coverage through digital channels, with subscription products forming an increasingly important part of its model.
Digital news
Netwerk24
Netwerk24 is Media24’s Afrikaans-language digital news and subscription platform. It extends the group’s established Afrikaans publishing presence into web-based journalism and paid digital content.
Newspapers
Newspapers
Media24’s newspaper portfolio has included mass-market, regional and Afrikaans-language titles such as Daily Sun, Die Burger and Rapport. Several print products have been restructured or moved toward digital distribution as circulation and advertising patterns changed.
Magazines
Magazines
The magazine portfolio has included consumer and specialist titles such as Huisgenoot, You, Drum, Sarie, Kuier, Fairlady, Visi, Tuis | Home, Weg! and Go!. The portfolio has been subject to closures, frequency changes and digital conversion as part of Media24’s restructuring.
Book publishing
Media24 Books
Media24 Books covers educational and trade publishing and distribution. Its named businesses include Jonathan Ball Publishers, NB Publishers, Van Schaik Publishers and Via Afrika, giving the group exposure to general-interest books, specialist publishing and educational materials.
Television
VIA
VIA is a television channel associated with Media24’s broadcasting activities and carried on DStv channel 147. It forms part of the group’s television and video-content operations.
Video production
POP24
POP24 is Media24’s in-house video production operation, creating content for broadcast, streaming and digital platforms. It supports the group’s effort to extend established editorial brands into video.
Brand decisions
2024
Transfer On the Dot and selected publications to Novus HoldingsM&ABackground
Media24 continued reducing its exposure to legacy logistics and selected print activities while focusing on digital news.
Action taken
The company announced Competition Commission approval for the proposed sale of On the Dot and a portfolio of community and specialist publications to Novus Holdings.
Aftermath
The transaction supported further separation of physical-media activities from Media24’s digital-first core.
2021
Unwind Welkom Yizani shareholding schemeOtherBackground
Media24 proposed ending the Welkom Yizani broad-based black economic empowerment arrangement.
Action taken
After shareholder approval, the company repurchased all Welkom Yizani shares for cash.
Aftermath
The Welkom Yizani scheme was unwound.
2020
Restructure print publishingStrategyBackground
The pandemic intensified existing declines in print advertising and circulation.
Action taken
Media24 closed selected titles, reduced frequencies, outsourced production and moved some products to digital-only publication.
Aftermath
The portfolio became more concentrated on digital publishing and subscription-led products.
2015
Separate and list the printing divisionM&ABackground
Media24 sought to separate its manufacturing and printing activities from its publishing operations.
Action taken
Paarl Media Group was rebranded as Novus Holdings and listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange.
Aftermath
The printing business became a separately listed company and later remained a potential partner for Media24’s restructuring of physical-media activities.
Recent events
- 2024
Media24 announces proposed sale of On the Dot and selected publications[1]
M&A
Following Competition Commission approval, Media24 announced the proposed sale of its media-logistics business On the Dot and a portfolio of community and specialist publications to Novus Holdings.
- 2024
Media24 advances a digital-first publishing strategy[1]
Product generation
The company said several titles would publish their final print editions by 31 December 2024 while continuing as digital brands from January 2025.
- 2021
Media24 completes the unwind of the Welkom Yizani scheme[1]
Other
Media24 proceeded with the repurchase of all Welkom Yizani shares after shareholder approval, bringing its broad-based black economic empowerment shareholding arrangement to an end.
- 2020
Media24 restructures magazine and newspaper portfolio[1]
Other
The company announced closures, reduced publishing frequencies, outsourced production and digital-only changes as the pandemic intensified the long-term decline of print advertising and circulation.
- 2019
Competition litigation over Goldfields community newspapers concludes[1]
Lawsuit · Regulation
The Constitutional Court dismissed the Competition Commission’s appeal in the predatory-pricing matter, leaving no proven contravention after the Competition Appeal Court had set aside the Tribunal’s finding on the merits.
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