Johannesburg - Independent Media has launched I’solezwe lesiXhosa, the company’s first vernacular publication in the Eastern Cape.
It will be available to the public from today, March 30, 2015.
“Our expansion into the Eastern Cape with a vernacular publication is in line with our vision and strategy. The role of the media to advance the transformation and development agenda of our country is critical. Creating a platform for South Africans to communicate in their mother tongue is part of our contribution to this transformation,” said Dr Iqbal Survé, the executive chairman of Independent Media.
Unathi Kondile is the editor of I’solezwe lesiXhosa. Before joining Independent Media, Kondile started his own newspaper, iSigidimiSamaXhosa, which was the outcome of research he did towards his PhD proposal on the transformation of the media in South Africa. This initiative won him the 2014 British Council Young Creative Entrepreneur Culture Award.
There are more than three million adult Xhosa-speaking people in the Eastern Cape, yet there is not a single daily Xhosa newspaper catering for this potential market.
“This in itself points to a profound failure of South Africa’s media to transform itself. The introduction of I’solezwe lesiXhosa will hopefully signal a positive change in South Africa’s media landscape,” said Kondile.
I’solezwe lesiXhosa will be based on the same editorial formula as the successful KZN trio of Isolezwe publications (daily, Saturday and Sunday), which currently has a collective readership in excess of 2.3 million weekly and will be supported by the same publishing team. The editorial team will be based in East London.
“We are very proud of Unathi and his team and I wish them every success with this publication, which is the second vernacular publication for Independent Media and the first in the Eastern Cape. Here’s to the first of many more to follow,” said Survé.
I’solezwe lesiXhosa will be published daily from Monday to Friday.
* Independent Media owns and publishes IOL and Business Report
IOL