The media in South Africa are well-established and sophisticated, comprising print media (newspapers and magazines), broadcast media (radio and television) and electronic media (Internet).
South Africa has a sophisticated publishing infrastructure.
There are four major press groups in the country: Independent Newspapers, Nasionale Media, Perskor and Times Media (TML), as well as a number of large publishers.
There are several daily and weekly newspapers and a magazine market comprising hundreds of consumer, business and professional titles. The advent of the Internet has resulted in many of these publications publishing online editions.
Key issues facing this industry include the role of the press in a fledgling democracy, illiteracy, and
the attraction and retention of
advertising revenue.
South Africa has one of the largest radio networks in Africa, with private, public and community broadcasting. There is one public broadcaster, South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), as well as a number of private radio stations and numerous community radio stations.
TV has been available in the country since 1976, with satellite TV being available from the mid 1990s. There are currently three TV broadcasters: South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), a public broadcaster, M-Net (an encoded subscription channel) and e-TV (a commercial free-to-air channel).
The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) was established in 1994 to ensure fair and representative broadcasting and to regulate cross-media ownership and foreign investment.
