ANA Publishing

What ANA Publishing does

ANA Publishing is a boutique publishing house headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, operating as a trading brand of African News Agency since 2003. The company produces a portfolio of six magazine titles spanning business and innovation (Fast Company South Africa), African technology, business and investment (African Independent), premium travel and adventure (Intrepid Explorer), personal finance, a Who's Who reference publication, and a BRICS-focused title. Beyond its owned publications, ANA Publishing offers custom and commercial publishing services to innovative brands, producing reports, commemorative books, and branded content.

The business operates on a dual revenue model. Consumer revenue is generated through annual subscriptions sold direct-to-consumer via an owned WooCommerce e-commerce storefront processed through PayFast, with African Independent priced at R175/year for six bi-monthly issues and Intrepid Explorer at R100/year. Professional services revenue is derived from bespoke custom publishing, commercial publishing, and editorial projects for corporate clients. Distribution is concentrated in South Africa and broader Africa, supported by an Instagram presence for Intrepid Explorer and downloadable media kits for advertising sales.

The company runs a lean editorial and design operation anchored by Cape Town and Stellenbosch University-educated staff, with named leadership including Editor-in-Chief Saarah Survê, Head of Design Warren Uytenbogaardt, and Head of Brand Development Kyle Villet. The underlying technology stack is described as a traditional publishing setup—WordPress-based website, WooCommerce storefront, and PayFast payments—with no proprietary technology platform, API, or AI/ML capabilities identified in available sources.

Name

ANA Publishing

Legal name

African News Agency

Website

https://anapublishing.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ANA Publishing is a Cape Town-based boutique publishing house, operating since 2003 under African News Agency, producing six magazine titles (including Fast Company South Africa, African Independent, and Intrepid Explorer) and offering custom publishing services to innovative brands across South Africa and Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Magazine Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAJAAAK

Business, Personal Finance & Careers Trade Publishing

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Book Publishing (Trade & Consumer)

SECONDARYMPAJAAAA

General Trade Publishing (Adult Fiction & Nonfiction)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Publishing (Books, News, Magazines)/Book Publishing (Trade & Consumer)

Keywords

• Boutique publishing house
• Custom publishing services
• Magazine subscriptions
• Branded content production
• Premium magazines

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, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Magazine Subscriptions: Annual subscription revenue from print/digital magazine publications. African Independent offers 6 bi-monthly issues for R175/year. Intrepid Explorer annual subscription available for R100/year.
2. Custom Publishing Services: Boutique publishing services for innovative brands including custom publishing, commercial publishing, reports, and commemorative books as indicated on their homepage positioning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ANA Publishing is a boutique publishing house that produces a portfolio of premium magazine titles (African Independent, Fast Company South Africa, Intrepid Explorer, Personal Finance, Who's Who, and BRICS) sold through annual print and digital subscriptions, and provides custom and commercial publishing services — including reports and commemorative books — for innovative brands. The company combines in-house editorial, design, digital, and strategy capabilities to deliver end-to-end content production across both its owned titles and client commissions.

Product overview

ANA Publishing is a boutique publishing house offering a portfolio of magazine titles including African Independent (technology, business and investment in Africa), Fast Company South Africa (innovation and positive business change), Intrepid Explorer (premium travel and adventure), Personal Finance, Who's Who, and BRICS. Beyond its owned publication titles, the company provides custom publishing services for innovative brands, encompassing custom publishing, commercial publishing, reports, and commemorative books. The company emphasizes a 360-degree approach to content production combining editorial, design, digital and strategy expertise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• African Independent: A pioneering resource content publication that seeks to change the narrative of the African continent by presenting the true and deeper stories driving the African sphere. Has a strong focus on technology, business and investment in Africa.
• Fast Company South Africa
• Intrepid Explorer
• Personal Finance
• Who's Who

Products and services

• African Independent A pioneering resource content magazine seeking to change the narrative of the African continent by presenting the true and deeper stories driving the African sphere, with a strong focus on technology, business, and investment in Africa. Sold via annual subscription (R175/year for 6 bi-monthly issues).
• Fast Company South Africa The South African licensed edition of Fast Company, aimed at inspiring a purpose-driven network of innovators who view business as a force for positive change. Distributed as part of ANA Publishing's magazine portfolio to premium business readers in South Africa.
• Intrepid Explorer A premium travel-focused magazine creating new perspectives on innovation, people and lifestyle in travel, featuring tales of thrill-seekers offering views of adventure and luxury travel. Sold via annual subscription (R100/year).
• Personal Finance A personal finance publication providing content on managing personal finances, distributed as part of ANA Publishing's magazine portfolio.
• Who's Who A reference publication featuring notable individuals, distributed as part of ANA Publishing's magazine portfolio.
• Custom Publishing Bespoke publishing services for innovative brands, encompassing custom publishing, commercial publishing, branded magazines, reports, and commemorative books. Delivered by ANA Publishing's in-house editorial, design, digital, and strategy teams.
• BRICS Custom publishing title focused on BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) related content, produced within ANA Publishing's editorial and design operation.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Highbury Media: South African magazine publisher operating multiple titles including travel, lifestyle, and business publications. Directly comparable to ANA Publishing as a Cape Town-rooted, multi-title magazine house with custom/content production services.
• Media Nova: South African magazine publishing and custom content production company. Comparable to ANA as a boutique periodical publisher with both consumer titles and B2B custom publishing services.
• New Media Publishing: South African publisher of consumer, lifestyle, and business magazines including titles distributed through Woolworths and other retail. Comparable to ANA as a multi-title magazine publisher serving premium South African audiences.
• Mansueto Ventures (Fast Company): US-based parent publisher of Fast Company magazine and Inc. ANA Publishing operates the licensed South African edition of Fast Company, making Mansueto the originating brand and a key strategic peer.
• Wanderlust Magazine: UK-based premium travel magazine focused on experiential and adventure travel. Comparable to ANA's Intrepid Explorer as a premium niche travel title targeting affluent adventure travellers.

Broad incumbents

• Media24: Largest print and digital media publisher in South Africa, owned by Naspers, producing magazines, newspapers, and books. Broader incumbent competing with ANA across consumer magazine advertising and content production.
• Independent Media: Major South African newspaper and magazine publisher (formerly part of the Sekunjalo group). Comparable as a periodical publisher operating in the same South African market; provides a reference point for editorial talent flows into ANA.
• Condé Nast Africa: Global publisher of premium titles including Vogue, GQ, and Condé Nast Traveller with African edition operations. Comparable as a premium magazine publisher targeting similar aspirational African and travel audiences that ANA's Intrepid Explorer and Fast Company SA serve.

Emerging players

• How we made it in Africa: Digital media platform focused on African business, investment, and entrepreneurship — the same editorial terrain as ANA's African Independent magazine. Comparable as an Africa-business content brand reaching overlapping executive and investor audiences.

Regional players

• African Business Magazine: IC Publications title covering African business, investment, and policy. Comparable to ANA's African Independent as a periodical serving business decision-makers interested in African markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about ANA Publishing