Fight for Democracy. Glenda Daniels

there were fifty-six, and in 1975 there were none. Similar growth trends can be seen in the number of radio stations. In 2007, there were 124 radio stations, in 2000 there were 105, and in 1975 there were seven. In March 2010, the Media Club South Africa website estimated that about 14.5 million South Africans buy the urban dailies, while community newspapers have a circulation of 5.5 million. There were twenty-two daily and twenty-five weekly urban newspapers in South Africa in 2010. In 2011, the state of newspapers showed these trends, according to The Media magazine of March 2012: newspaper distribution was double what it was in 1997, but there was a decline in the rate of growth over the last few years. Free community newspapers, however, have shown enormous growth: in 1997 there were 83 titles and in 2011 there were 195. While dailies’ numbers are up since 1997, they show a downward trend over the last four years, as Tony Banahan wrote in an article, ‘The figures don’t lie’ (The Media: March 2012). The following is a list of newspapers with sales and circulation figures from 2011.

      • Beeld is an Afrikaans language daily, owned by Media 24, with copy sales of 36 754 and a total circulation of 76 321.

      • Die Burger is an Afrikaans language daily paper, owned by Media 24, with copy sales of 35 680 with a total circulation of 78 901.

      • Business Day is an English language daily owned by Business Day/Financial Mail in association with Avusa and the London-based Pearson, with copy sales of 8 532 and a total circulation of 36 103.

      • Cape Argus is an English daily circulated in the Western Cape and is owned by the Independent Newspaper Group, with copy sales of 22 363 and a total circulation of 45 128.

      • Cape Times is an English language daily, owned by the Independent Newspaper Group, with copy sales of 21 636 and a total circulation of 43 274.

      • The Citizen is an English newspaper published six days a week, distributed in Gauteng and owned by Avusa/Caxton, with copy sales of 51 487 and a total circulation of 69 649.

      • Daily Dispatch is an English newspaper in the Eastern Cape and is owned by Avusa, with copy sales of 22 634 and a total circulation of 22 394.

      • Daily News is an English language daily based in KwaZulu-Natal and is owned by Independent Newspaper Group, with copy sales of 12 246 and a total circulation of 33 214.

      • Daily Sun, the most-read newspaper in South Africa, distributed nationwide, is a tabloid owned by Media 24, with copy sales of 374 341 and total circulation of 374 400.

      • Diamond Fields Advertiser is based in Kimberley in the Northern Cape and is owned by Independent Newspaper Group, with copy sales of 6 768 and a total circulation of 9 495.

      • The Herald based in the Eastern Cape is one of the country’s oldest newspapers, launched in 1845, and is owned by Avusa, with copy sales of 15 178 and a total circulation of 22 139.

      • Isolezwe is an isiZulu newspaper published Monday to Friday, based in KwaZulu-Natal, owned by Independent Newspaper Group, with copy sales of 105 713 and a total circulation of 106 734.

      • Ilanga, owned by Independent Newspapers and distributed in KwaZulu-Natal, has copy sales of 135 359 and a total circulation of 135 706.

      • Sondag is an Afrikaans newspaper owned by Media 24, with copy sales of 46 304 and a total circulation of 47 286.

      • The Mercury is an English language Durban morning paper, owned by Independent Newspaper Group, with copy sales of 14 462 and a total circulation of 31 474.

      • Pretoria News, an English daily based in Pretoria but also distributed in the provinces of Mpumalanga and North West, is owned by Independent Newspaper Group, with copy sales of 12 630 and a total circulation of 23 148.

      • Sowetan is a daily English language newspaper aimed at a literate black readership, owned by Avusa, with copy sales of 86 892 and a total circulation of 116 347.

      • The Star an English daily published in Johannesburg but circulated throughout the country is owned by Independent Newspaper Group, with copy sales of 58 321 and a total circulation of 136 552.

      • The Times, one of South Africa’s newest papers, is an English language tabloid, the sister paper to the Sunday Times, owned by Avusa, with copy sales of 38 579 and a total circulation of 142 024.

      • Volksblad is an Afrikaans language daily based in the Free State and is owned by Media 24, with copy sales of 13 169 and a total circulation of 21 353 for the daily edition.

      • The Witness, an English language daily newspaper based in Pietermaritzburg, owned by Media 24, has copy sales of 8 971 and a total circulation of 21 908.

      • The New Age is an English daily with sales and circulation figures unavailable.

      The weekly newspapers:

      • City Press is an English Sunday paper, owned by Media 24, with copy sales of 155 247 and a total circulation of 157 306.

      • Saturday Star is a weekly, based in Johannesburg, owned by Independent Newspapers, with copy sales of 57 121 and a total circulation of 97 257.

      • Independent on Saturday, owned by Independent Newspapers, has copy sales of 22 473 and a total circulation of 46 008.

      • Isolezwe nge Sonto, owned by Independent Newspapers, has copy sales of 81 041 with a total circulation of 81 553.

      • Ilanga Langesonto, owned by Independent Newspapers, is distributed in KwaZulu-Natal and has copy sales of 85 726 and a total circulation of 85 726.

      • Mail & Guardian, owned by Mail & Guardian Media, has copy sales of 35 324 and a total circulation of 45 692.

      • Post, owned by Independent Newspapers, has copy sales of 25 831 and a total circulation of 43 413.

      • Soccer Laduma owned by Media 24, distributed nationwide but also in Botswana and Swaziland, has copy sales of 345 088 and a total circulation of 345 088.

      • Rapport, owned by Media 24, has copy sales of 215 479 and a total circulation of 231 911.

      • Sun, owned by Media 24, is an Afrikaans language Western Cape tabloid, with copy sales of 103 056 and a total circulation of 103 056.

      • Sunday Independent, owned by Independent Newspaper Group, in Gauteng, Western Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Northern Province, has copy sales if 14 621 and a total circulation of 39 569.

      • Son op Sondag is owned by Media 24; distribution is in the Eastern and Western Cape, with copy sales of 60 174 and a total circulation of 60 174.

      • Sondag is owned by Media 24 and distributed in Gauteng, Free State, Northwest, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and Northern Cape, with copy sales of 46 304 and a total circulation of 47 286.

      • Sunday Times, owned by Avusa, is distributed nationwide with copy sales of 253 721 and a total circulation of 451 361.

      • Sunday Tribune is owned by Independent Newspaper Group, distributed in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, with copy sales 41 344 and a total circulation of 82 477.

      • Sunday World, owned by Avusa, distributed in North West, Northern Cape, Free State, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, and Gauteng, has copy sales of 127 490 and a total circulation of 147 614.

      • Weekend Post is owned by Avusa and distributed in Western Cape and Eastern Cape with copy sales of 19 899 and a total circulation of 23 656.

      • Weekend Argus is owned by Independent Newspapers and distributed in the Western Cape with copy sales of 49 217 and a total circulation of 70 212.

      • Weekend Witness, owned by Independent Newspapers and distributed in the greater Pietermaritzburg area, has copy sales of 12 549 and a total circulation of 21 908.

       Some trends