# The Star (South Africa)

The Star is a daily newspaper based in Gauteng, South Africa that was established in 1887. The paper is distributed mainly in Gauteng and other provinces such as Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West, and Free State.
The Star is one of the titles of the South African Independent News & Media group (INL), owned by Sekunjalo Media Consortium whose founder and chairman is Dr. Iqbal Survé. For many years, The Star was owned by the Argus Printing & Publishing Company, controlled by the Anglo American Corporation. The Irish Independent News & Media (INM) bought and renamed the Argus in the early 1990s. Sekujalo acquired INL in 2013.

## Content

The content published in The Star focuses on leading daily national, local and international national news and analysis. Its leader and opinion page offers a platform for thought leaders to contribute their opinions on topical news.

## Products

The Star houses the Business Report newspaper (a financial newspaper in South Africa), as well as a carrier for the following supplements:
* Tonight
* Talent 360
* Drive 360
* Classifieds

## Awards

Newspaper Journalism Awards 2012
* Hard News: Angelique Serrao "Gauteng toll roads"
* Feature photographs: Antoine de Ras "The Long Road Home"
* Hard News: Louise Flanagan "92 million: Zuma's political elite benefit"
* Enterprise News: Lebogang Seale "Raped by the justice system"
* Feature Writing: Beauregard Tromp "The weight of water" Jonathan Ancer "Adventures of an AWOL Chequebook" shared with our sister paper Cape Times
* News photographs: Antoine de Ras "Mogadishu Madness"
* Feature photographs: Antoine de Ras "The Long Road Home""
* Sports photographs: Adrian de Kock "Polo Pigeons" Standard Bank 2013 Sikuvile Journalism Awards
* Rising Star of the Year: Kristen van Schie Vast Number of Entries Standard Bank 2014 Sikuvile Journalism Awards
* Hard News: Angelique Serrao, Botho Molosankwe, Kristen Van Schie, Lebogang Seale & Kevin Ritchie Deadly Valentine (Series).
* Enterprise News: Kristen van Schie After the Fall.
* Popular Journalism: Omphitlhetse Mooki Hell Hath no Fury like a Woman Scorned.
* Newspaper Journalist of the Year: Antoine de Ras Oscar Pistorius Standard Bank 2015 Sikuvile Journalism Awards
* Hard News: Botho Molosankwe, Timothy Bernard, Theresa Taylor & Omphitlhetse Mooki "Joburg's Raging Fires - Firefight Scandal"
* Hard News: Botho Molosankwe "What a Bummer"
* Graphic Journalism: Sithembile Mtolo "Greening your home"
* News Photographs: Bongiwe Mchunu "Extinguisher" Standard Bank 2016 Sikuvile Journalism Awards
* Enterprise News: The Star Women's Team 2016 "The Rise of Women's Power"
* Graphic Journalism: Lebohang Elvin Nethononda "Soweto Uprising 1976"
* Presentation: Narianan Nelandri "16 June: 40 Years On"
* Young Journalist of the Year: Nokuthula Mbatha "Deep in the Devil's Drug" National Arts Festival/BASA Arts Journalism Awards 2016
* News: Silver Winners Wendyl Martin shared with its sister publication Weekend Argus

## Notable stories
### The Bang-Bang Club

The Star newspaper employed three members of the Bang-Bang Club. It employed Kevin Carter as a staff photographer in 1984. Ken Oosterbroek worked for the paper before being appointed its chief photographer in August 1991. João Silva was hired shortly afterwards.

## History

The Star newspaper appeared for the first time in Johannesburg as The Eastern Star. It was founded in Grahamstown under that title on 6 January 1871 (as a resurrection of the previous Great Eastern paper), and was moved to the Witwatersrand sixteen years later by its owners, brothers Thomas and George Sheffield. In 1889, the name Eastern Star was changed to the one currently in use.

## Supplements

* Business Report (Monday-Friday)
* Tonight (Monday-Friday)
* Workplace (Monday & Wednesday)
* Motoring (Thursday)
* Play (monthly)

## Distribution areas

Distribution :
| | 2008 | 2013 |
| Eastern Cape | Y | |
| Free State | Y | Y |
| Gauteng | Y | Y |
| Kwa-Zulu Natal | Y | |
| Limpopo | Y | Y |
| Mpumalanga | Y | Y |
| North West | Y | Y |
| Northern Cape | Y | Y |
| Western Cape | Y | |

## Distribution figures

Circulation :
| | Paid circulation | Total circulation |
| Oct - Dec 2024 | 4 196 | 20 375 |
| Jul - Sep 2024 | 4 355 | 20 230 |
| Apr - Jun 2024 | 4 647 | 20 124 |
| Jan - Mar 2024 | 5 146 | 18 432 |
| Oct - Dec 2023 | 8 900 | 17 834 |
| Jul - Sep 2023 | 9 137 | 18 229 |
| Apr - Jun 2023 | 11 716 | 24 078 |
| Jan - Mar 2023 | 12 436 | 25 596 |
| Jul - Sep 2022 | 14 139 | 27 563 |
| Jan - Mar 2022 | 15 279 | 27 984 |
| Oct - Dec 2021 | 14 705 | 27 417 |
| Jul - Sep 2021 | 13 967 | 25 769 |
| Apr - Jun 2021 | 14 931 | 27 823 |
| Jan - Mar 2020 | 33 128 | 57 019 |
| Jan - Mar 2019 | | 72 010 |
| Jan - Mar 2018 | | 75 836 |
| Jan - Mar 2017 | | 84 857 |
| Jan - Mar 2016 | | 86 833 |
| Jan - Mar 2015 | | 91 735 |
| Jan - Mar 2014 | | 101 711 |
| Oct - Dec 2012 | | 102 244 |
| Jul - Sep 2012 | | 105 686 |
| Apr - Jun 2012 | | 117 874 |
| Jan - Mar 2012 | | 124 641 |

## Readership figures

Estimated Readership :
| | AIR |
| January – December 2012 | 615 000 |
| July 2011 - June 2012 | 683 000 |