We read Afrikaans because we are Afrikaans
08 May 2018From the early days of its origins Afrikaans has been an expressive and dynamic language that has adapted to suit its needs and times. The first smatterings of Afrikaans were developed as early as 1595 when Dutch and Khoi-Khoin traders assimilated a mutually understandable lingo to conduct business.
From those beginnings, Afrikaans has grown into the third-most spoken of South Africa’s 11 official languages (after IsiZulu and IsiXhosa) and is the first language of more than 7-million people, or 13.5% of the population.
With its unique structure and ability to capture the humour and irony of situations and things, Afrikaans has evolved as a language with about 1-million unique words. It is also a language that continues to delight with new words continually being added to the mix.
So it’s hardly surprising that the majority of Afrikaans speakers prefer to receive their daily and weekly dose of news and entertainment in their first language.
Dating back to the establishment of its initial Afrikaans title, Die Burger in 1915, Ads24 has entertained and educated with a diverse portfolio of trusted household news and lifestyle brands –Rapport, Die Son, Die Son op Sondag, Kuier, Beeld, Die Burger, Volksblad, Netwerk24 and NetNuus.
Proof of their popularity can be seen in the numbers. The cumulative reach opportunity of Ads24s Afrikaans titles is 4,026,439 (reach +1), with a total cumulative impact of 8, 808,440. And like the language of their origins, these titles continue to evolve according to the changing needs of their readers.
Afrikaans online readership is also big and showing considerable growth. In March this year, Ads24’s digital titles accounted for more than 1,7-million unique browsers, while Netwerk24 is the biggest paywall in South Africa.
“The world has changed a lot since Die Burger was started and it’s been a deliberate strategy on the part of Ads24 to be at the forefront of the tech world by investing in its digital properties,” says Kay Karriem, editor of Kuier, South Africa’s largest women’s magazine. “But what is important to consider is credibility, in an age where anyone who has a cell phone can ‘create news’ by publishing on social media platforms. People still pay for content because they want a trustworthy curator. They want to trust that the information is real, it’s been tested and put out by titles with the best reputations in the industry.”
Ads24’s sustained commitment to quality journalism means that whatever their interest or cultural persuasion, lovers of Afrikaans can get their news and entertainment in their favourite lingua franca, or to put it simply, “Ons lees Afrikaans, want ons is Afrikaans”.
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About Ads24
Ads24 reaches six in ten South Africans, including print and digital readers. Ads24 touches the lives of over a half of all South Africans adults. While it is important to identify the size and segment the audience, looking at how Ads24 engages with its readers, is equally as important.
Ads24 is part of the Media24 Group representing 97 newspaper titles. From Dailies to Sunday papers to locals, Ads24 reaches almost every target segment in South Africa, no small achievement in such a diverse country. The most exciting element is how these titles become part of the community that Ads24 serves.
A news reader is an engaged reader. Ads24 news brands play an important and unique role in the daily lives of their readers. Ads24 sees beyond the numbers, beyond the market segments, to connect with the people on a personal level. Ads24 has the stats, the numbers, but also the insights.
Issued on behalf of Ads24 by Stone Soup Public Relations
For further information, please contact Daya Coetzee
daya@stonesoup.co.za, (011) 447 7241