About Randfontein Herald

The Randfontein/ Westonaria Herald as it is known today, first appeared as a national newspaper in 1935 and was known as the Randfontein Herald and Randfontein News. It was published by Amalgamated Press in Krugersdorp.

The paper covered the nuclear bomb attack on Hiroshima, the first airplane, the visit by Queen Elizabeth and much more.
News from the Randfontein area was also covered extensively. Articles ranging from the comings and goings of the then new mayor, to community dances at the old Robinson Hall were very popular.

There was just one page available for Afrikaans news – the back page.
The main back page banner boasted that this was the only Afrikaans news page for the Randfontein municipal area.
Interestingly, back in the day, the price of the Herald (one penny) was printed upside down on the front page.

This was no typo though. It was done on purpose so that customers could see the price of the newspaper from the other side of the shop counter.
Years later the newspaper went out of business and for a long time there was no newspaper for the community of Randfontein.

That all ended in 1971 when local resident, Jan Cornelius, started a new local newspaper – the Randfontein/ Westonaria Herald.
He had an arrangement with the Carletonville Herald to use the same printer.
Cornelius filled the roles of Editor, journalist and sales representative and the Herald was sold at five cents per copy.
It proved to be a very successful venture and the paper grew to sport up to 24 pages.

It was a proper tabloid and news consisted mostly of local gossip.
In 1975, one Fanie van Zijl bought the paper.
The Herald offices were in the Lucy Building at the then Randfontein Bakery and the staff consisted of Cornelius, Isak Malherbe, Susan Niemand and Van Zijl.

That same year the paper grew to 42 pages and was even bigger than the then West Rand Times.
The year 1976 saw the Herald changing hands yet again, and this time was bought by one Victor Lewis who, two years later in 1978, sold the paper to the Caxton Group, who owns it to this day.

The Herald has moved premises a few times over the years and is currently situated in Greenhills.
In the Caxton stable the Herald has become a much-respected publication featuring local news ranging from crime to politics, as well as news about the community, churches, schools and sports.

In 2011 the Herald launched its local-news website, www.looklocal.co.za, which was an almost immediate hit with the communities of Randfontein and Westonaria.
Both the newspaper and the website have gone from strength to strength since and have become an irretrievable part of the communities of Randfontein and Westonaria.