Media24

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.

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

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

• Digital news publishing
• Print magazines
• Book publishing
• Lifestyle television
• B2B trade media

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

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

1. Digital Subscriptions: Paywall subscriptions across News24 and Netwerk24 platforms generating recurring revenue from digital news access
2. Print Publications: Remaining printed newspapers (Die Burger and Son), magazines (Huisgenoot, YOU, SARIE, Kuier, Tuis/Home, and others)
3. Logistics Services: On the Dot and TFS (Takealot Fulfilment Services) providing warehousing, delivery, and distribution services
4. Book Publishing: Publishing through Jonathan Ball Publishers, NB Publishers, Van Schaik Publishers, and Via Afrika
5. B2B Publications: Industry-specific B2B publications across healthcare, finance, retail, manufacturing, and design sectors
6. Advertising: Digital advertising across news platforms with AI-driven targeting capabilities

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Telekom SrbijaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Media24 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 TimescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Media24 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 MediaminorOthersMedia24'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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/media24
• Facebookfacebook.com/495291215273
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/media24

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Media24