New Afrikaans newspaper Die Papier launching March 2026

Thinus Ferreira

A new weekly Afrikaans newspaper, Die Papier (The Paper) will launch in March 2026 with former Beeld editor Barnard Beukman as its first editor.

Taking a page from the Daily Maverick as an online publication that has a weekly print edition, Die Papier will be available nationally in all major metros and some rural areas with a weekly print edition.

Die Papier will be the first new Afrikaans news and perspective publication in print since Media24 shuttered the print runs of Beeld, Die Volksblad and Rapport on Sundays earlier this year and after the revived Vrye Weekblad shuttered in March after six years.

Novus Holdings' Novus Media will publish Die Papier. 

Novus Holdings bought Media24's distribution business On the Dot and several community newspapers at the end of 2024 following the closure of the print runs of Beeld, Die Volksblad and Rapport.

Besides a website, Die Papier will appear in print on Fridays with news, sport, lifestyle, business and culture coverage aimed at South Africa's Afrikaans readership. The first issue of Die Papier is set for 6 March 2026, targeting an Afrikaans market of more than seven million consumers.

André van der Veen, Novus Holdings CEO, says "The opportunity to grow print publications in focused markets remains relevant if readers' needs are listened to with innovation and thorough comprehension".

According to Esmé Smit, Novus Media director, Die Papier "is a milestone for us - it's our first national newspaper and takes quality Afrikaans journalism to a new level with a reach that includes all the provinces".

"6 March 2026 signifies a new chapter - for the Afrikaans print media and for South African journalism. We're looking forward to telling collective stories, empowering citizens and building a platform where communities can partake constructively in a democratic discussion. Quality content for, from and to the benefit of the Afrikaans community - that's the vision of Die Papier."

Beukman told RSG that Die Papier will "repair the balance in the South African media landscape".

"The aim is not to be just another platform that reports on what's happening but to provide creative and interesting journalism to readers".

"There's an important market segment asking for news in print. Die Papier won't just be a printed newspaper; you'll also be able to page through it as an e-newspaper. It's that a component that has been lost is being repaired. National advertisers are already excited and told us thanks for seeing the gap in the market."

"Die Papier will be a national weekly. A possible comparison is with how the Saturday edition of Beeld looked in tablet form, taking recognition of the hard news of the previous day or two, with a focus on the weekend, the sport. There was an in-depth section. Afrikaans readers still want a print newspaper."

"One of the assignments from Novus Media is to bridge the gap between online and social media and the content of newspapers to make it accessible to younger readers," Beukman said.

He mentioned Die Papier will be available "in all nine provinces - of course always in core cities and as far as possible in rural areas. We'll try to distribute it as widely as possible."

"The hope is that Die Papier will contribute to the role of Afrikaans people and South Africans as a nation in conversation with itself."

The SABC bans newspaper headlines being read on its TV channels and radio stations; says there is 'nothing sinister' about the move.

The SABC has placed a ban on the reading of newspaper headlines or discussing newspapers' front pages on the air in ongoing censorship creep at the South African public broadcaster, with the SABC rationalising the decision as giving free publicity to print media.

The SABC says there's "nothing sinister" about the move. 

The SABC will continue to subscribe to and buy newspapers, it will just not mention any print media’s headlines and stories on air.

The move comes after the SABC's highly controversial decision to start enforcing an immediate blackout of certain public protest visuals, and the abrupt canning of The Editors programme on SAfm this past Sunday after two decades without any prior notification in which newspaper editors talked weekly about newspaper stories and critically dissected stories making the news.

Last month the SABC announced that the SABC "don't see a need to use print media" and that it will immediately stop advertising jobs and tenders anywhere else than through SABC channels.

SABC spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago told Netwerk24 that the SABC no longer considers it fair to do "marketing" of newspapers.

It's not clear how the decision will impact TV shows like SABC2's Morning Live looking at different newspaper front pages and stories and the weekly Media Monitor show on Sundays at 09:00 on SABC News (DStv 404) discussing newspapers.

It's also unclear how the SABC will proceed with the journalistic convention of proper attribution where a newspaper happens to be the original source of a news story and credit reference is given in reporting by using "according to the" and "as and first reported by".

Broadcasters worldwide bring their viewers and listeners a roundup of newspaper headlines and stories as media experts discuss stories in the news cycle, while electronic media often follow-up articles and comment on news that first appeared in print form.

Kaizer Kganyago told Netwerk24 there's "nothing sinister" about the SABC's move. "Newspapers got publicity they haven't paid for. If newspapers want publicity from us they must buy it".

The past year the SABC's controversial chief operating officer (COO) Hlaudi Motsoeneng has publicly claimed several times that South African newspapers are "misleading the people", are "printing propaganda" and are only interested in covering "negative stories".

Last month in a statement the SABC said it has decided that "it will advertise its employment vacancies and tender advertisements on the SABC's television, radio and digital platforms only. This decision will be implemented with immediate effect, henceforth, the public broadcaster will no longer place advertisements in any print".

In reaction the Democratic Alliance (DA) political party in a statement said the banning of the reading of newspapers can only be viewed as yet another attempt by Hlaudi Motsoeneng to censor any negative news stories about the ANC ahead of the upcoming local government election.

Phumzile van Damme, DA spokesperson said the move "is part of an ongoing programme driven by Motsoeneng to only portray 'sunshine news' about the ANC on SABC stations".

"It is clear that through Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the ANC is controlling the SABC ahead of the election and will stop at nothing to ensure that South Africans are kept in the dark in the run-up to the elections".

Hlaudi Motsoeneng, embroiled in ongoing court action over this appointment as COO, has until Friday to appeal the Western Cape High Court judgment refusing his leave to appeal.

The Western Cape High Court originally found that Hlaudi Motsoeneng's appointment was unlawful and irrational.