Maroela Media
Maroela Media is a South African Afrikaans-language digital news and community platform founded in 2011, serving Afrikaans-speaking readers domestically and in the diaspora with free news, sport, agriculture, lifestyle, and Christian-themed content via website, mobile app, newsletters, and WhatsApp.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersGauteng, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Maroela Media does
Maroela Media is a South African Afrikaans-language digital news and community platform founded in 2011 by Susan Lombaard, who serves as founder and executive director. The company operates as the media arm of the Solidariteit Beweging (Solidarity Movement), a civil-society organization serving approximately 600,000 paying members. Built on a WordPress-based content management system, the platform distributes comprehensive Afrikaans-language coverage across news, sport, agriculture, lifestyle, entertainment, opinion/debate, and Christian-themed content ("Goeie goed"/"Stiltetyd"). Content reaches users through the primary website (maroelamedia.co.za), a mobile news app, daily email newsletters (Neutedop-nuusbrief), and WhatsApp news flashes, with additional engagement via Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, and LinkedIn.
The company has expanded its portfolio into a multi-product ecosystem beyond editorial content, including the Maroela-fontein registered community platform, the Maroela-mark online marketplace, Regskennisgewings (a legal-notices portal), Kwetter SIM cards and Koekoek fibre-internet reselling, the Weet Afrikaans encyclopedia, Skryfnet creative-writing courses, the Maroela-studiefonds scholarship fund, and original radio dramas and podcasts. Maroela Media holds the Press Council of South Africa's "FAIR" stamp, signaling adherence to the country's press code. The platform carries no paywall; content is offered free to readers.
Revenue is generated primarily through display and banner advertising, supplemented by legal-notice publication fees and marketplace commission. Audience is concentrated among Afrikaans-speaking South Africans and the global Afrikaans diaspora, with secondary appeal to the Afrikaans farming community and Christian readers. The company is privately held within the Solidarity Movement, has no disclosed funding rounds, and reports a headcount of 11–50 employees. It operates without a publicly disclosed physical office address, consistent with a digital-first publisher based in Gauteng, South Africa.
Maroela Media firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Maroela Media
- Legal name
- Maroela Media
- Website
- https://maroelamedia.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Maroela Media is a South African Afrikaans-language digital news and community platform founded in 2011, serving Afrikaans-speaking readers domestically and in the diaspora with free news, sport, agriculture, lifestyle, and Christian-themed content via website, mobile app, newsletters, and WhatsApp.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Maroela Media industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Online News Publishing
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community-Integrated Publishing Platforms (MPACAIAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Online Article & Blog Publishing Platforms (MPAJAMAF), Newsletter Publishing Platforms (MPACAIAA)
Keywords
Where Maroela Media is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gauteng
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
Maroela Media business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Advertising: The platform operates as a free news service monetized through display advertising and banner advertisements. The website uses cookies for essential functionality, statistical analysis, and advertising purposes to support the sustainability of the free news platform.
- Classifieds and Legal Notices: Revenue generated through legal notice publications (Regskennisgewings) via regskennisgewings.co.za, and the Maroela-mark online marketplace at maroelamark.co.za.
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Maroela Media product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Maroela Media is an Afrikaans-language online news and community publishing platform that delivers free news, sport, agriculture, lifestyle, entertainment, and Christian-themed content to Afrikaans-speaking readers in South Africa and the global diaspora. The platform is monetized primarily through display advertising and is supported by ancillary services including legal notice publication, a registered member community (Maroela-fontein), an online marketplace (Maroela-mark), and a mobile news application.
Product overview
Maroela Media is a unified Afrikaans-language online news and entertainment platform with a portfolio of complementary products and services. The core offering is the Maroela Media Website (maroelamedia.co.za), which serves as the primary digital hub for Afrikaans news, debate, sport, entertainment, and cultural content. This core platform is supported by Maroela-fontein, a community membership system that provides personalized content and engagement features. The company extends its reach through a mobile app (Maroela Nuus-app) and multi-channel distribution via newsletters (Neutedop-nuusbrief, WhatsApp Nuusflitse). Related services include financial products (Kwetter SIM cards, Koekoek fiber internet, Maroela-mark e-commerce marketplace), educational tools (Weet encyclopedia, Skryfnet writing courses, Maroela-studiefonds), and specialized content sections like radio dramas/podcasts and market indicators. The platform is part of the Solidariteit Beweging and maintains compliance with Press Council of South Africa standards.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Maroela-fontein: The site's registered member community platform, described as a 'digitale dorpie' (digital village) offering personalized content, commenting, and other member-only features.
- Maroela-mark
- Kwetter
- Maroela-studiefonds
- Regskennisgewings
- Koekoek-veselinternet
Products and services
- Maroela Media Website Primary Afrikaans-language online news and entertainment platform offering news, debate, finance, agriculture, sport, lifestyle, and cultural content to Afrikaans-speaking readers.
- Maroela Nuus-app Mobile news application enabling on-the-go access to Maroela Media articles and updates for Afrikaans-speaking smartphone users.
- Maroela-mark Online shopping marketplace operated under Maroela Media for consumer goods, accessible at maroelamark.co.za.
- Regskennisgewings Legal notices publishing service accessible via regskennisgewings.co.za, part of the Maroela Media network, enabling publication of statutory legal notices.
- Neutedop-nuusbrief Daily news briefing newsletter delivering recent Afrikaans news summaries to subscribers' email inboxes.
- WhatsApp Nuusflitse Breaking news alerts delivered via the WhatsApp messaging platform to subscribers seeking real-time updates.
- Markaanwysers Market indicators and financial data service focused on the South African agriculture sector, providing price and market reference information to farmers.
- Weer (Weather) Weather forecasts and conditions service relevant to South African users, particularly the farming community.
Companies that use Maroela Media
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Maroela Media technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Maroela Media partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Solidariteit Beweging (Solidarity Movement)coreMaroela Media is an integral part of the Solidarity Movement (Solidariteit Beweging), a network of institutions serving approximately 600,000 paying members and 100,000 service users. The platform aligns with the movement's focus on Afrikaans language, culture, and community empowerment. The platform's Christian character and editorial stance reflect the movement's values.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Maroela Media competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- News24: News24 is South Africa's largest digital English-language news platform (Media24/Naspers). Broad incumbent in the same South African digital news market and competes for advertising spend and audience attention.
- RSG (Radio Sonder Grense): RSG is the SABC's Afrikaans-language public radio service, offering news, talk, and drama. Comparable Afrikaans content audience and a source of competition for Afrikaans audio (podcast/radio drama) consumption.
- Daily Maverick: Daily Maverick is a large independent South African digital news outlet offering news, opinion, and investigative journalism. Comparable as a subscription-and-advertising-funded digital news business serving the South African audience.
- Eyewitness News (EWN): EWN is Primedia's South African digital news brand covering news, business, and sport. Overlaps with Maroela's news verticals and competes for digital advertising and audience in South Africa.
Direct peers
- LitNet: LitNet is an Afrikaans-language online platform focused on literature, arts, and cultural commentary, complementing Maroela's Afrikaans cultural coverage and competing for the same educated Afrikaans reader.
- Die Burger: Die Burger is a Cape-based Afrikaans regional newspaper under Media24. Comparable as Afrikaans news publisher with adjacent sports, agriculture, and lifestyle coverage.
- Beeld: Beeld is a long-established Afrikaans daily newspaper (Media24) covering news, sport, and lifestyle, now transitioning online. Direct competitor for Afrikaans news readership and advertising.
- Netwerk24: Netwerk24 is Media24's Afrikaans-language digital news platform and Maroela Media's most direct competitor, offering news, opinion, and lifestyle content to the same Afrikaans-speaking audience with a subscription model.
- Volksblad: Volksblad is a Free State-based Afrikaans newspaper (Media24), competing for Afrikaans news readership with similar content verticals.
- Rapport: Rapport is Media24's Afrikaans Sunday newspaper, a major editorial competitor for Afrikaans news, opinion, and lifestyle content.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Maroela Media social profiles
Digital presenceMaroela Media compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Maroela Media financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Maroela Media leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Maroela Media funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Maroela Media M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Maroela Media
What does Maroela Media do?
Maroela Media is an Afrikaans-language online news and community publishing platform that delivers free news, sport, agriculture, lifestyle, entertainment, and Christian-themed content to Afrikaans-speaking readers in South Africa and the global diaspora. The platform is monetized primarily through display advertising and is supported by ancillary services including legal notice publication, a registered member community (Maroela-fontein), an online marketplace (Maroela-mark), and a mobile news application.
Is Maroela Media a public or private company?
Maroela Media is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Maroela Media founded?
Maroela Media was founded in 2011. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Maroela Media based?
Maroela Media is headquartered in Gauteng, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does Maroela Media make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Advertising is the primary driver. The others are classifieds and Legal Notices.
Who are Maroela Media's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are News24, RSG (Radio Sonder Grense), Daily Maverick and Eyewitness News (EWN). Direct peers are LitNet, Die Burger, Beeld, Netwerk24, Volksblad and Rapport.
Does Maroela Media have an API?
No public API is recorded for Maroela Media.
What industry is Maroela Media in?
Maroela Media's product category is Online News Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAIAI, Community-Integrated Publishing Platforms, with a secondary code of MPAJAMAF, Online Article & Blog Publishing Platforms. Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.