BusinessDay

What BusinessDay does

BusinessDay is a South African business news publisher, founded in 1985 and headquartered in Johannesburg at 29 Tyrone Avenue, Parkview. It is owned and operated by Arena Holdings (Pty) Ltd, a diversified South African media conglomerate whose portfolio also includes Financial Mail, Sunday Times, TimesLIVE, Sowetan, and Wanted Online. BusinessDay serves South African business professionals, corporate executives, financial-services sector participants, and SMEs/entrepreneurs, providing news, opinion, company coverage, economy and markets analysis, and lifestyle content. The publication is recognised as a leading business newspaper in South Africa with strong brand standing in the business community.

The core product is the BusinessDay newspaper and digital platform at businessday.co.za, distributed across print (daily edition and the monthly Financial Mail supplement), a website, native iOS/Android mobile applications, an E-Edition digital replica delivered via PressReader, RSS feeds covering all editorial sections, and Business Day TV (BDTV), a video platform broadcast on DStv Channel 412 and on the @BusinessDayTelevision YouTube channel. The underlying technology stack is a multi-channel digital-first publishing platform without a public API or AI/ML layer documented in the available data. Revenue is generated through three streams: recurring digital and print subscriptions, display and sponsored advertising, and branded content and event partnerships, including the flagship 'Bank on it' video series with Capitec Bank (in its second season as of late 2025) and the BusinessDay SME Conference and Awards franchise, which in 2025 extended to Lagos, Nigeria. Compliance posture includes GDPR and South Africa's POPIA privacy frameworks. The company operates as a privately held subsidiary within Arena Holdings with 51-100 employees and no publicly disclosed revenue or funding history.

Name

BusinessDay

Legal name

Arena Holdings (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://businessday.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

BusinessDay is a Johannesburg-based South African business news publisher, founded 1985, owned by Arena Holdings, delivering business journalism via print, website, mobile apps, BDTV on DStv 412, and YouTube to corporate executives, financial professionals, and SMEs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business News Publishing

NAICS

Newspaper Publishers (51311), Periodical Publishers (513120), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Newspapers: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2711), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Business, Financial & Trade News Publishers (MPAJADAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Trade Shows & Industry Expos (B2B) (MPAGAHAB)

Keywords

• Business news publishing
• Financial journalism
• Market analysis
• Business media
• Economic reporting

Headquarters

HQ city

Johannesburg

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Digital and print subscriptions providing access to premium business journalism, analysis, and exclusive content.
2. Advertising: Display advertising, sponsored content, and branded partnerships across digital and print platforms.
3. Sponsored Content and Partnerships: Branded content series such as 'Bank on it' produced in partnership with Capitec Bank, generating sponsorship revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BusinessDay is a South African business newspaper and multi-platform media brand publishing authoritative business news, financial market analysis, economic coverage, and corporate journalism. Its content is delivered across print, the businessday.co.za website, mobile applications, Business Day TV (BDTV) on DStv Channel 412 and YouTube, and an E-Edition digital replica via PressReader, supplemented by the Financial Mail sub-brand and the BusinessDay SME Conference and Awards event series.

Product overview

BusinessDay operates as a multi-platform business media company offering a unified news and analysis portfolio. The core product is the BusinessDay newspaper and website (businessday.co.za), which provides business news coverage across news, politics, companies, economy, and markets. This core is augmented by BDTV for video content and market reports, the Financial Mail sub-brand for in-depth analysis and investing coverage, the E-Edition for digital magazine access, and RSS feeds for content syndication. The company also maintains a Partners section featuring sponsored content series such as 'Bank on it' in partnership with Capitec Bank. The portfolio is distributed across website, mobile applications, DStv television channel 412, YouTube, and print editions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bank on it: A video series partnership between Capitec Bank and Business Day, featuring thought leadership content on banking and finance topics.

Products and services

• BusinessDay newspaper and digital platform South Africa's leading business newspaper and digital news platform covering news, politics, companies, economy, markets, world events, business analysis, and lifestyle content, delivered via website, mobile app, and print edition to business professionals and corporate executives.
• Business Day TV (BDTV) Business Day's standalone video content platform featuring market reports, interviews, analysis, and sponsored video series including 'Bank on it' and 'Business Day Spotlight' podcasts, available on DStv Channel 412, the Business Day website, and YouTube.
• Financial Mail In-depth business analysis and news publication covering industry, economy, investing, features, and opinion, published by The Financial Mail Group and distributed monthly with the Business Day print edition.
• E-Edition Digital replica of the Business Day print edition accessible via PressReader, offering listen functionality, commenting, sharing, and email alerts to subscribers on iOS and Android apps.
• Markets Data Dedicated financial market data and analytics section on Business Day providing real-time market information, stock data, and investment insights for business professionals and investors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches South African business professionals across multiple platforms including website, DStv Channel 412, YouTube, and mobile applications

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Capitec BankflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2025Capitec Bank partnered with Business Day to launch the 'Bank on it' video series, a thought leadership platform featuring financial education content and executive interviews. The partnership is in its second season and includes CEO interviews (Graham Lee), financial planning discussions, and data-driven insights about Capitec's client experience. Content airs on Business Day TV (DStv Channel 412) and YouTube, reaching millions of viewers.
• BankerXcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBankerX, a financial education platform, co-hosts the 'Bank on it' series with Business Day and Capitec Bank. Koshiek Karan from BankerX serves as the host, bringing investment banking expertise and financial education to the platform.
• Arena HoldingscoreOthersBusiness Day is owned by Arena Holdings (Pty) Ltd, a South African media conglomerate. Arena Holdings controls a network of publications including Business Day, Financial Mail, Sunday Times, TimesLIVE, Sowetan, and others, enabling cross-promotion and content sharing across the network.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Daily Maverick: Leading South African digital-native news outlet with a growing business and investigative journalism vertical. Competes for the same premium digital subscriber and advertising pool, particularly among younger professionals.
• Financial Mail: Sister publication under Arena Holdings covering in-depth business analysis, investing, and features. Closest direct comparable because it operates in the same business journalism niche for the same South African audience and shares distribution and editorial infrastructure with BusinessDay.
• News24 (Business section): South Africa's largest digital news publisher (Media24/Naspers), with a prominent business section targeting the same executive readership. Directly competes for South African business news advertising and subscription budgets.
• BusinessTech: High-traffic South African digital publisher covering business, technology, and economic news. Competes for the same South African executive readership, particularly online advertising and tech-savvy professionals.
• Moneyweb: Long-established South African business and investment news platform focused on markets, companies, and personal finance. Direct competitor in the SA business-news subscription and advertising market.

Broad incumbents

• Financial Times: Global business news standard with a strong subscription model targeting executives worldwide. A broader incumbent that competes for the same premium C-suite readership and global advertising budgets, including South African multinationals and financial professionals.
• Bloomberg Media: Global business and financial news leader with digital, TV, and subscription products. Competes with BusinessDay for the attention of senior South African finance and corporate professionals who consume both local and international business news.
• Reuters: Global news and business wire service. Provides much of the international business wire copy BusinessDay republishes, and is also an alternative primary source for South African executives seeking global business news.
• The Wall Street Journal: Premier US business newspaper and digital subscription product. Sets the global benchmark for paid business journalism and competes for the same premium executive subscription dollars that BusinessDay targets.

Regional players

• Caxton & CTP Publishers: Large South African print and digital media group operating local newspapers and business-to-business titles. A regional peer that competes in the broader SA media advertising and subscription market, though not in the same premium business-news niche.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BDliveSA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BusinessDayTelevision
• Facebookfacebook.com/businessdaylive
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/business-day-sa

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 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 BusinessDay