Media24 has begun selling off its local newspaper assets following regulatory approval for the Boland Media Group’s acquisition by Novus Holdings, a leading South African print company. The sale includes titles in Media24's Local Community News division, such as Hermanus Times, Paarl Post, District Mail & Helderberg Gazette, Eikestadnuus, and Weslander—key publications across various regions in the Western Cape.

The sale comes on the heels of a failed attempt by Media24 to streamline its operations by reducing its Afrikaans journalism staff, a move that would have shuttered several still-profitable titles, including Die Beeld and Die Burger. Intervention from the trade union Solidarity protected 66 journalists' positions, but at the cost of stability for advertisers who now face a complex, shifting media landscape, which Media24 predicted in August would cost it R200 million over the next three years.

But some observers see this latest transaction as more than just a retreat by Media24; they argue it signals a strategic consolidation.

According to a recent affidavit from Riquadeu Jacobs, executive chair of Capital Newspapers, the sale is a calculated step by Media24, led by its influential chair Koos Bekker, to strengthen its dominance in South African media. Jacobs has applied to the courts to halt the sale, arguing that it poses anti-competitive risks. The merger, he contends, could push smaller players out of the market, reduce diversity in local media, and ultimately harm communities without reliable internet access, as they would be left without credible sources of local news.

Jacobs’s affidavit paints the move as part of a broader scheme to marginalize competition and solidify the reach of Media24’s digital arm, News24/Netwerk24. By cutting print and consolidating operations, Media24 would tighten its grip on the online news market, potentially stifling diversity in voices and viewpoints. Media24 has yet to file a response to the allegations.

Conversely, Media24 has contended that allowing Caxton, which specialises in local reporting, to buy up the papers, would result in a monopolisation of local reporting across the country, and give the Caxton Group a 76% share of the market segment.

After the ruling from the Competition Commission, Novus Holdings has voiced optimism about the transition, with CEO André van der Veen emphasizing a commitment to the future of local news. He has pledged to work closely with community newspaper teams to maintain uninterrupted publishing, emphasizing the importance of these publications in the social fabric. Esmé Smit, General Manager of Community News, echoed these sentiments, highlighting the unique role of hyper-local news in representing community life and pledging to keep the papers as “a friend to each household.”

With titles across the Boland, Eastern Cape, Free State, Northern Cape, and Cape Town’s townships, the transaction represents a significant shift in South Africa’s media landscape, marking both the end of an era for Media24’s print ambitions and a great bottleneck for local reporting itself.

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