What Caxton Local Media (Durban) does

Caxton and CTP Publishers and Printers Limited, operating locally as Caxton Local Media (Durban) in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, is a South African integrated publishing and printing group founded in 1980 by entrepreneurs Terry Moolman and Noel Coburn. The group is recognized as one of the largest publishers and printers of books, newspapers, and commercial print in South Africa, employing approximately 5,500 people group-wide and operating a diversified platform across publishing, commercial printing, packaging, stationery manufacturing, and book printing. Its publishing portfolio includes regional community newspapers distributed across South Africa, The Citizen national daily newspaper as its flagship title, and a major magazine publication. A Digital Assets Division extends the group's offering into digital asset delivery, and a dedicated packaging sub-brand (ctppackaging.co.za) produces labels and flexible packaging.

The underlying technology stack is built around conventional print media publishing and commercial printing production, with no proprietary AI, automation, or digital-platform technology documented. The business operates a hybrid go-to-market: a B2C publishing motion distributing newspapers and magazines through newsstands, subscriptions, and retail outlets to general news consumers and magazine readers; and a B2B sales-led motion delivering commercial printing, packaging, stationery, and book printing services directly to business clients. Revenue is generated through advertising sales and circulation/subscription fees on the publishing side, and quote-based one-time project fees on the commercial printing and packaging side. Customer segments are primarily general news consumers and magazine readers (persona-based) for the B2C business, and business clients requiring professional printing and packaging solutions (business-unit-based) for the B2B business. The company appears to be privately held with no disclosed parent company, funding rounds, or named enterprise customers, and operates exclusively in the South African market.

Name

Caxton Local Media (Durban)

Legal name

Caxton and CTP Publishers and Printers Limited

Website

https://caxtonlocalmedia.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Caxton and CTP Publishers and Printers, operating locally in Durban as Caxton Local Media, is one of South Africa's largest publishers and printers, producing regional community newspapers, The Citizen daily, magazines, commercial print, packaging, and stationery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Print Media Publishing and Commercial Printing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (513110), Periodical Publishers (513120), Printing and Related Support Activities (3231), Commercial Printing (except Screen and Books) (323111), Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Commercial Printing (2750), Book Printing (2732)

akta.pro primary industry

Local & Regional Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

National & General-Interest Newspapers (Print & Digital) (MPAJADAA)

Keywords

• Community newspaper publishing
• Commercial printing services
• Packaging manufacturing
• Magazine publishing
• Stationery manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Durban

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Publishing (Newspapers & Magazines): Revenue generated from regional community newspapers, The Citizen daily newspaper, and major magazine publishing through advertising sales and circulation/subscription fees.
2. Commercial Printing Services: Commercial printing, book printing, packaging, and stationery manufacturing services sold to businesses.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Caxton Local Media (Durban), as part of Caxton & CTP Publishers, Printers and Distributors, publishes regional community newspapers, The Citizen daily newspaper, and a major magazine, and operates commercial printing, packaging (labels and flexible packaging), stationery manufacturing, and book printing divisions. The group is one of the largest publishers and printers of books, newspapers, and commercial print in South Africa, employing approximately 5,500 people across its operating divisions.

Product overview

Caxton & CTP Publishers and Printers operates as a diversified publishing and printing conglomerate with a platform-plus-divisions structure. The core publishing business encompasses regional community newspapers, The Citizen daily newspaper, and major magazine titles. Complementary to publishing, the company operates commercial printing, book printing, packaging (labels and flexible packaging), and stationery manufacturing divisions. A Digital Assets division provides digital asset delivery capabilities. Together, these divisions make Caxton one of the largest publishers and printers of books, newspapers, and commercial print in South Africa, employing approximately 5,500 people across the group.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Regional Community Newspapers Community-focused regional newspapers published by Caxton & CTP, serving local audiences across South Africa and providing hyperlocal news coverage.
• The Citizen Daily Newspaper A national daily newspaper publication distributed by Caxton & CTP, representing the company's flagship newspaper title.
• Magazine Publishing Publication of major magazines as part of Caxton & CTP's print media portfolio.
• Commercial Printing Services Commercial printing operations producing books, newspapers, commercial print materials, and related products for external business clients.
• Packaging Packaging manufacturing services including labels and flexible packaging solutions, operated through the company's packaging division.
• Stationery Manufacturing Manufacture of stationery products as part of the company's diversified printing operations.
• Book Printing Specialized book printing services utilizing the company's commercial printing capabilities.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Mondi: Global paper and packaging group with South African operations producing uncoated and coated papers used as upstream inputs for commercial printing and publishing. Comparable as a paper supplier/packaging player in the South African value chain Caxton operates in.

Direct peers

• Independent Media: South African newspaper group publishing titles including Cape Times, Cape Argus, The Star, Daily News, and IOL (Independent Online). Direct peer in regional and national newspaper publishing with overlapping audience and advertiser base.
• Arena Holdings: South African media company (formerly Tiso Blackstar / Times Media) publishing Sunday Times, Business Day, The Herald, and other major newspapers. Directly comparable to Caxton's newspaper portfolio, including a flagship national daily (The Citizen vs. Business Day/Sunday Times).
• Kagiso Media: South African media group with interests in publishing, broadcasting, and digital. Comparable to Caxton's diversified media model with overlapping community and regional audience focus.
• Novus Holdings: JSE-listed commercial printing group (formerly Paarl Media) operating one of South Africa's largest printing platforms across magazines, newspapers, books, and packaging. Directly comparable to Caxton's commercial printing and packaging divisions.
• Media24: Naspers-owned media group and the largest newspaper and magazine publisher in South Africa (titles include Die Burger, Beeld, Daily Sun, and major magazines). Directly competes with Caxton's newspaper and magazine publishing business and operates in the same South African print media market.

Broad incumbents

• Primedia: South African media company operating radio, outdoor advertising, and content platforms. Less direct overlap, but operates in the same broader South African advertising-funded media landscape where Caxton competes for ad budgets.
• Mpact: JSE-listed packaging and recycled paper group with paper manufacturing, packaging, and plastics operations. Adjacent peer through Caxton's packaging (ctppackaging) and stationery manufacturing divisions.
• Nampak: Africa's largest packaging manufacturer with operations in metals, glass, paper, and plastics packaging. Comparable through the packaging portion of Caxton's commercial printing and packaging operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/caxton-local-media-durban

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Caxton Local Media (Durban)