Zigzag Surf Magazine

Name

Zigzag Surf Magazine

Legal name

Rebel Media SA (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://zigzag.co.za

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Surf Magazine Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports & Recreation Magazines (MPAJAEAJ)

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Print Subscriptions: Annual subscription model offering 2 print issues per year of the Zigzag magazine
2. Online Store Sales: Sale of print magazines, merchandise, and related surf products through the online shop
3. Advertising: Digital advertising space sold on the website, including banner advertisements from partners like NSRI

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Zigzag Surf Magazine (operated by Rebel Media SA (Pty) Ltd) publishes a bi-annual print surf magazine sold via annual ZAG subscriptions, complemented by free online editorial covering South African surf news, competitions, features, and interviews. The company also operates an online store selling surf-themed merchandise and back issues, and runs Rebel Sessions as a separate community-facing platform.

Product overview

Zigzag Surf Magazine operates primarily as a print and digital surf publication, offering a 1-year/2-issue print subscription model alongside individual magazine issues. The product portfolio centers on the ZAG Print Subscription and individual print issues (such as Zigzag 50.1), supported by an online store for purchases. Additional digital services include editorial content delivery (surf news, interviews, features), a newsletter subscription managed via Mailchimp, user account management, and user commenting functionality. Rebel Sessions operates as a related sub-brand providing additional surf content. The company does not appear to offer a platform-plus-modules architecture; its offerings are individual, largely standalone products and services centered on surf journalism and community engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ZAG Print Subscription Annual subscription service that delivers two bi-annual print issues of the Zigzag surf magazine directly to subscribers, targeting individual surfers and surf enthusiasts in South Africa.
• Zigzag Print Magazine Issues Individual bi-annual print issues of Zigzag surf magazine (e.g., Issue 50.1), containing surf news, competition coverage, features, and interviews, available for single-issue purchase.
• Zigzag Online Store Merchandise and Back Issues Online store operated by Zigzag selling branded surf merchandise (e.g., T-shirts) and back issues of the print magazine to readers and fans of the South African surf community.
• Rebel Sessions Platform Separate platform branded Rebel Sessions that extends the Zigzag surf brand, providing additional community-focused content and surf-related offerings beyond the main Zigzag website and print title.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PayfastcoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing service used for secure handling of online transactions on the Zigzag store. Zigzag does not store payment or credit card information on its servers.
• MailchimpcoreTechnology or IntegrationEmail marketing platform used for managing newsletter subscriptions and email communications with subscribers and customers.
• NSRI (National Sea Rescue Institute)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAdvertising partnership featuring NSRI retail banner advertisements on the Zigzag website, promoting sea rescue products and safety awareness.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• The Inertia: Digital surf and outdoor media platform publishing news, features, and video for surfers and ocean athletes. Targets the same surfing reader that Zigzag does, though distributed exclusively online rather than via print.
• Stab Magazine: Digital-first global surf media brand publishing features, news, video, and reviews for the core surf audience. Comparable target customer and editorial voice to Zigzag, though distributed primarily online.
• Tracks Magazine: Long-running UK surf magazine with print issues and online editorial covering British and international surf news, competitions, and culture. Closely parallels Zigzag's regional magazine + website + e-commerce structure.
• Carve Surfing Magazine: UK-based surf magazine covering British and European surf culture, competitions, and travel. Operates with a similar regional magazine + website + e-commerce model targeting a national surf audience.
• The Surfer's Journal: Premium print-focused surf magazine from the US publishing long-form editorial, photo essays, and surf culture features. Directly comparable to Zigzag's print + digital editorial model in the niche surf journalism category.
• Wavelength Surf Magazine: Canadian surf magazine publishing print issues and digital content focused on cold-water surfing, destinations, and interviews. Comparable regional niche print + digital magazine serving a defined surf community.
• Surfing Life Magazine: Australian surf lifestyle magazine with print and digital editions covering surfing, travel, and culture. A directly analogous regional surf publication serving the Australian surfing community.

Broad incumbents

• World Surf League: The professional surfing governing body that also produces its own editorial, video, and event coverage globally. Operates broadly in the surf media space and is a frequent editorial subject for niche publications like Zigzag.

Others

• Surfline: Surf forecasting and media platform with cams, reports, and editorial content reaching the global surf audience. Comparable audience but operates as a digital utility/content network rather than a magazine publisher.
• Magicseaweed: Surf forecasting platform combined with editorial content, news, and reviews reaching surfers worldwide. Comparable audience but functions as an enabling media/data platform rather than a magazine brand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ZIGZAGmag
• Instagraminstagram.com/zigzagsurf/?hl=de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zigzagsurf

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 Zigzag Surf Magazine