Media24
Media24 is South Africa's largest diversified media company and a wholly-owned Naspers subsidiary, operating digital news platforms (News24, Netwerk24), Afrikaans and English newspapers and magazines, lifestyle TV, book publishing, B2B media, and e-commerce shops for mass-market South African consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Media24 does
Media24 is South Africa's largest diversified media company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Naspers, headquartered in Cape Town. It operates an integrated portfolio spanning digital news platforms (News24, Netwerk24, Landbou), Afrikaans and English newspapers (Die Burger, Son, plus five closed in December 2024: Beeld, City Press, Daily Sun, Rapport, Volksblad), high-circulation magazines (Huisgenoot, YOU, SARIE, Kuier, Tuis/Home), lifestyle TV (POP24 production, VIA channel on DStv 147), book publishing (Jonathan Ball, NB Publishers, Van Schaik, Via Afrika), B2B media across healthcare/finance/retail/design/manufacturing, e-commerce shops, and logistics (historically On the Dot and M24 Logistics, now spun to Novus Holdings and Takealot Fulfilment Services).
The company's core technology stack centers on digital subscription platforms (News24 and Netwerk24 paywalls) augmented by AI-driven personalization and advertising tools, supported by OneTrust data privacy management for POPIA compliance and enterprise security controls (MFA, EDR, encryption, SOC monitoring). A Chief Technology & AI Officer and Head of Accelerated AI Adoption have been appointed to drive the digital-first transformation, though evidence of proprietary AI models or research-grade capabilities is absent.
Media24 generates revenue through six streams: digital subscriptions (221,872 paywall subscribers across News24/Netwerk24, +4.4% YoY), print publications (Die Burger, Son, remaining magazines), logistics services (TFS), book publishing (one-time sales), B2B subscriptions, and advertising. However, the business is under significant financial pressure: FY2024 revenue fell 28% to $102M from $141M, losses widened 60% despite 400 job cuts and the closure of five print titles, and the company continues to evaluate further divestitures (City Press, Careers24 sold) while pursuing geographic expansion through the Telekom Srbija Move platform partnership into Slovenia.
Media24 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Media24
- Legal name
- Media24 (Pty) Ltd
- Website
- https://media24.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Media24 is South Africa's largest diversified media company and a wholly-owned Naspers subsidiary, operating digital news platforms (News24, Netwerk24), Afrikaans and English newspapers and magazines, lifestyle TV, book publishing, B2B media, and e-commerce shops for mass-market South African consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Media24 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Media & Publishing
- NAICS
- Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Periodical Publishers (513120), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (51621), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)
- SIC
- Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Consumer News & Digital Newsrooms (Web/App-First) (MPAJADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Online News & Magazine Publishing Platforms (CMS & Hosting) (MPAJAMAC), National & General-Interest Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAA), Digital Magazine & Newspaper Subscription Platforms (Paywalls, Membership) (MPAJAMAD), Digital Newsstand & Aggregation Platforms (Magazine/News Apps, Bundles) (MPAJAKAE)
Keywords
Where Media24 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Media24 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Digital Subscriptions: Paywall subscriptions across News24 and Netwerk24 platforms generating recurring revenue from digital news access
- Print Publications: Remaining printed newspapers (Die Burger and Son), magazines (Huisgenoot, YOU, SARIE, Kuier, Tuis/Home, and others)
- Logistics Services: On the Dot and TFS (Takealot Fulfilment Services) providing warehousing, delivery, and distribution services
- Book Publishing: Publishing through Jonathan Ball Publishers, NB Publishers, Van Schaik Publishers, and Via Afrika
- B2B Publications: Industry-specific B2B publications across healthcare, finance, retail, manufacturing, and design sectors
- Advertising: Digital advertising across news platforms with AI-driven targeting capabilities
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Digital news subscriptions through News24 and Netwerk24 |
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Media24 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Media24 is South Africa's leading diversified media company operating subscription-based digital news platforms (News24 and Netwerk24), Afrikaans and English newspapers (Die Burger, Son), popular magazines (Huisgenoot, YOU, SARIE, Kuier, Tuis/Home), lifestyle television channels (POP24 video production, VIA), book publishing (Jonathan Ball, NB, Van Schaik, Via Afrika), B2B trade media across multiple sectors, and online retail shops. The company is undergoing a digital-first transformation, having closed multiple print editions in December 2024 and investing in AI-driven personalization for content delivery and advertising.
Product overview
Media24 is South Africa's leading media company operating a diversified portfolio of digital media platforms, newspapers, magazines, lifestyle television channels, book publishers, online shops, logistics services, and B2B publications. The company is structured around major digital platforms (News24 and Netwerk24 for subscription-based news), print publications (newspapers including Die Burger and Son, magazines including Huisgenoot and YOU), lifestyle TV (POP24 video production and VIA channel), book publishing (Jonathan Ball, NB Publishers, Van Schaik, Via Afrika), e-commerce (Media24 Shop, Landbou Winkel, Huisgenoot Winkel), logistics (TFS via Takealot partnership), and B2B media covering healthcare, retail, finance, design/construction, and manufacturing sectors. The company is undergoing significant digital transformation, having closed multiple print editions in December 2024 and pursuing AI-driven personalization and advertising tools.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- News24: South Africa's premier breaking news source for politics, opinions, investigations and human-interest stories.
- Netwerk24
- Die Burger
- Huisgenoot
- YOU
- POP24
- VIA
Products and services
- News24
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.4% subscriber growth to 221,872 paywall subscribers
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Media24
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Media24 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature3 records
Media24 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Telekom SrbijaminorMedia24 is partnering with Telekom Srbija for the expansion of the Move video platform to the Slovenian market. The platform offers live TV, VOD, radio, and podcasts across more than 5,000 titles and 20,000 hours of programming. This marks Telekom Srbija's first international market expansion for Move, developed in Slovenia through this partnership.
- The New York TimescoreMedia24 has partnered with The New York Times to offer content access to subscribers as part of its digital transformation strategy. The partnership provides Media24 subscribers access to New York Times content, enhancing the value proposition of News24 and Netwerk24 subscription offerings.
- Novus MediaminorMedia24's former portfolios of community newspapers and soccer titles are now part of Novus Media. The former community newspaper and soccer title operations were transitioned to Novus Media for continued operations under new ownership.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves13 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Media24 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Arena Holdings: Arena Holdings (formerly Tiso Blackstar Group) is a South African media company operating newspapers, magazines, and digital news properties. It is the closest direct competitor to Media24 in the South African English and Afrikaans publishing market, with overlapping B2B and consumer brands.
- Independent Media: Independent Media is one of South Africa's largest newspaper publishers, operating titles such as The Star, Cape Argus, and IOL.co.za. It directly competes with Media24 in both print newspapers and South African digital news readership.
- Caxton & CTP Publishers and Printers: Caxton & CTP is a South African print media group publishing community newspapers, magazines, and books, with integrated printing operations. It is comparable to Media24 as a diversified South African publisher with print manufacturing exposure.
Emerging players
- Daily Maverick: Daily Maverick is a South African digital-first news outlet with a strong subscription model. It competes directly with News24 and Netwerk24 for paying digital news readers and represents the type of digital-native competitor Media24 is pivoting against.
Broad incumbents
- Naspers: Naspers is Media24's parent company and one of the world's largest internet and media investors, with global stakes in classifieds, food delivery, and edtech. While not a direct competitor, Naspers is the broader incumbent that owns and controls Media24's strategy and capital allocation.
- News Corp: News Corp is a global diversified media company operating newspapers (The Wall Street Journal, The Times), book publishing (HarperCollins), and digital real estate. Comparable as a global legacy media conglomerate undergoing similar digital subscription and AI-driven transformation.
- Reach plc: Reach plc is the UK's largest regional newspaper publisher operating the Mirror, Express, and regional titles, with a digital subscription model. Comparable as a legacy newspaper publisher transitioning to digital reader revenues in an English-language market.
Regional players
- Nation Media Group: Nation Media Group is East Africa's largest media company operating newspapers, TV, and digital platforms across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. It is comparable as a regional African diversified media group with similar print-to-digital transition challenges.
Others
- Penguin Random House: Penguin Random House is the world's largest book publisher and is comparable to Media24's book publishing division (Jonathan Ball, NB Publishers, Van Schaik, Via Afrika) in terms of trade and educational book publishing operations.
- Condé Nast: Condé Nast is a global multi-brand magazine publisher with titles including Vogue, GQ, and Vanity Fair. Comparable to Media24's magazine portfolio (Huisgenoot, YOU, SARIE, Kuier) as a multi-magazine publisher transitioning print brands to digital subscription models.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Media24 social profiles
Digital presenceMedia24 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Media24 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Media24 subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries17 records
Media24 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Media24 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Media24
What does Media24 do?
Media24 is South Africa's leading diversified media company operating subscription-based digital news platforms (News24 and Netwerk24), Afrikaans and English newspapers (Die Burger, Son), popular magazines (Huisgenoot, YOU, SARIE, Kuier, Tuis/Home), lifestyle television channels (POP24 video production, VIA), book publishing (Jonathan Ball, NB, Van Schaik, Via Afrika), B2B trade media across multiple sectors, and online retail shops. The company is undergoing a digital-first transformation, having closed multiple print editions in December 2024 and investing in AI-driven personalization for content delivery and advertising.
Is Media24 a public or private company?
Media24 is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Media24 founded?
Media24 was founded in 2006. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Media24 based?
Media24 is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Media24 make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Digital Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are print Publications, logistics Services, book Publishing, B2B Publications and advertising.
Who are Media24's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Arena Holdings, Independent Media and Caxton & CTP Publishers and Printers. Daily Maverick is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Naspers, News Corp and Reach plc. Nation Media Group is listed as a regional player. Others are Penguin Random House and Condé Nast.
Does Media24 have an API?
No public API is recorded for Media24.
What industry is Media24 in?
Media24's product category is Digital Media & Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAD, Consumer News & Digital Newsrooms (Web/App-First), with a secondary code of MPAJAMAC, Online News & Magazine Publishing Platforms (CMS & Hosting). Its NAICS code is 5131 and its SIC code is 2711.