Polokwane Observer a proven leader in local media fraternity

Polokwane Observer will celebrate its 15th anniversary in May with one of the highlights of its history being its recent relocation to new offices at 20A Kerk Street, adopting a fresh new corporate environment.
The publication was initially established as an independent community newspaper during 2004. Media24 became the sole proprietor of the paper in 2013 and took the publication to new levels, building on nearly ten years of excellence and a strong relationship with readers and advertisers.
The newspaper is characterised by its attractive presentation, innovative layout and use of colour and rapidly grew to such an extent that it has been the newspaper of choice in the area since 2010.
Polokwane Observer is rated the top local newspaper in South Africa in the category for corporate newspapers with a circulation less than 10 000.
In 2013 it was nominated as one of the top three newspapers in the country. As a multiple award winner in various other competitions, the newspaper doesn’t shy away from tackling issues in its community, but also goes to great lengths to portray daily life in Polokwane and Limpopo.
The newspaper is actively involved in many community projects and fully supports the many service organisations that operate in the area. With an LSM from 7 to 10 it takes full advantage of the metropolitan hub of the Limpopo capital and also business and residential communities in its area of distribution. At R6 the newspaper is an excellent value proposition to the reader.
Polokwane Observer remains a refreshing breeze in the community press division of South Africa. It is a modern, comprehensive newspaper and a yardstick for the industry. It knows its readers and writes for them. It is incisive, relevant and critical. Pages have impact from the front to the back.
For advertisers, the publication provides a competitive alternative where distribution to a targeted audience of key decision makers is guaranteed. Research has shown the newspaper reaches 75% of its market while any other daily or Sunday newspaper doesn’t exceed 20%. Community newspapers are increasing their reach annually while sale figures in the competitive market have fallen dramatically over the past few years. From an advertising perspective a community newspaper should be the vehicle of choice when it comes to spending advertising budgets.
The management is confident that a manifested association with Media 24’s national footprint will ensure it will maintain its stronghold as a leader in the industry.

Story: BARRY VILJOEN
>>barryv.observer@gmail.com

Polokwane Observer well positioned, sets the benchmark

Well positioned with loyal advertisers and a readership encompassing all ages, genders and economic groups.
This is how Manager Santa Oosthuizen, who has been employed by the publication since 2007, describes Polokwane Observer’s position in the market.
“We are well positioned with loyal advertisers who continue to support us and new ones seeking us out for the quality service we deliver.
Speaking about the future of Polo­kwane Observer she indicates that the publication was looking forward to a stabilising economy that will allow for growth and expansion.
Any company showing continuous growth must have a success recipe. “Dedicated staff who all share the same vision for the newspaper. We have a unique way of putting all differences aside and cooperating to such an extent that we can literally overcome any obstacle. Each department, from finance to distribution contributes to our overall achievement,” Oosthuizen stated.
Asked what our readership can expect in future, Oosthuizen predicted weekly editorial content, visuals and advertising that continue to set the benchmark in the industry.

Story: RC Myburgh
>>rc.observer@gmail.com

Fresh, accurate cutting-edge stories online and in print

When it comes to cutting-edge news and the constant provision of objective and accurate stories to Polokwane Observer readers, it takes dedication, passion and hard work from an editorial team headed by a woman who is driven by the adrenaline offered by coverage of hard news stories and politics.
The editorial team consists of RC Myburgh, Endy Senyatsi, Barry Viljoen and Herbert Rachuene who all share the same passion and who manage to adapt under extreme pressure while working together towards one goal; to deliver accurate and credible stories round the clock.
Editor Yolande Nel, who has been with Polokwane Observer for nearly 13 years indicated that the editorial team’s success lies in team work and the synergy among colleagues. “Everyone is multi-skilled and knows what is expected of them, which is why such a small team is capable of producing editorial content that is accurate, objective, informative and cutting through the noise seven days a week,” Nel said.
Nel admits that the daily adrenaline rush and the satisfaction of seeing an end product that runs parallel with continuous online news feeds produced under the greatest pressure by a solid team of experts keep her going.
She reiterated that professionalism and continuous effort have contributed to the Polokwane Observer team being recognised as formidable and entrusted with the stories of the community they serve – at times carrying great risk.
When it comes to challenges Nel is mostly concerned about the safety of the journalists on her team when covering news occurrences that contain the element of danger, as situations in Limpopo with unique dynamics increasingly tend to turn volatile within the blink of an eye.
“In addition, the urgency posed by modern technology and social media interaction have brought along massive change and healthy competition and the fast-paced industry we work in demands continuous adaptation and keeping up with news across the world.”
Diligently serving an ever growing community in a bustling provincial capital, it is not without reason that Polokwane Observer has grown into a leader print medium in the province,” Nel concluded.

Story: RC Myburgh
>>rc.observer@gmail.com

Fifteen years in business – a new dawn for Polokwane Observer

Finances key responsibility at any business

No business can operate without a strong and secure financial system and at Polokwane Observer, the ‘one man team’ of Magbura Rugber ensures that this aspect of the publication runs smoothly.
With more than ten years’ experience in the financial and accounting field, she joined Polo­kwane Observer in February 2016 and has become a pillar of strength, ensuring that the income and expenditure of the enterprise is closely monitored, resulting in a well-managed cash flow.
“To do my work properly I am dependent on the timely input of all my colleagues, enabling me to meet deadlines and provide accurate information to assist management to take decisions. My work schedules are planned and synchronised with the activities of the other sections in our office,” she explains.
In addition to the day to day activities, which includes interactions with insurers, bookkeepers and auditors, Rugber is also responsible for the compilation of the annual budget of the business and depends on the input of all sections to arrive at a sustainable result. “Sometimes the pressure is heavy, but I really enjoy my work. Finance is a precise concept and figures have to be exact. There is no room for guessing. You have to be spot on,” she says.
One of Rugber’s major responsibilities is to ensure that the debtors’ book is well managed and kept as low as possible. “Most of our debtors are very reliable and when I have to interact with them, we always reach a mutually acceptable solution”.
Rugber is confident that the publication will go from strength to strength in the years to come. “We are financially sound and a leader in the industry. Our advertisers are loyal and as long as they support us and we deliver, it can only go well,” she reckons.

Story: BARRY VILJOEN
>>barryv.observer@gmail.com

Final product in hands of graphic designers

Bringing it all together into a final product filled with not only cutting-edge news and an appealing front page but also ensuring that every advert and photo meets with the most exacting standards is the task of the Graphics department.
Headed by Marinda Bekker this department is equipped with the latest programmes and IT equipment to ensure that Polo­kwane Observer clearly stands out above the rest.
Being part of the publication since the first edition on 6 May 2004, Bekker can only look back with pride.
“We started with limited equipment putting everything together from a garage and when I look back to what we have achieved since then, I once again realise that Polokwane Observer has made its mark in the local market and is here to stay,” she said.
Today she is assisted by layout artists Nadia Labuschagne and Roza Lombard who share the same passion for creating a top-notch product using only the best available programmes and equipment.
“We are a small but effective department. I have always been in the designing industry and being in a managerial position brings more pleasure to my daily responsibilities. Managing the small team is easy but gives me great satisfaction to work under pressure assigning tasks to designers in order to strictly meet deadlines,” Bekker said.
According to her the trio understands each other and they are eager to help out when the pressure is getting too much.
In the graphics department there is no stopping when it comes to creativity.
“The best part for our team is when we get the opportunity to design an advertisement from scratch. Given free hands to put your creative mind and ability at work is the best part of any graphic designers’ job,” Bekker said.
It is not only with advertisements where these three women show off their skills. Every page has to be planned carefully to fit editorial copy, photos and advertisements while sticking to deadlines at the printers.
Bekker indicated that her team’s day is never a repeat of the previous, keeping in mind that the length of stories, type of photos and sizes of advertisements differ all the time, creating a new challenge for designing each and every page.
“Designing the front page is one of the weekly highlights. We strive towards creating a front page that is easy to read and understand yet striking with visuals and a headline that draws a reader’s attention,” Bekker said.
All joy also comes with challenges but Bekker and her team are capable of handling it accordingly. According to her the biggest challenge is when editorial copy or advertisements come in late putting more pressure on them to finish pages in time for the printers. Besides that is keeping up with the latest trends and maintaining creative thinking to continuously produce a unique product.
On a personal note Bekker mentioned that she has learnt a lot in the past 15 years and that it doesn’t take a big team to make a success of something.
“Polokwane Observer is a small team who at any given time does not have to stand back for any other media house,” she concluded.

Story: RC Myburgh
>>rc.observer@gmail.com

A new dawn for Polokwane Observer

Teamwork the success of distribution

When it comes to getting the printed newspaper delivered to the community early every Thursday, teamwork and perfect timing are of the essence, according to Distribution and Environment Manager, Sylvester Coetzee.
Having sucessfully run the department for the past two years, Coetzee’s passion has also spilled over to his assistant Herman Meyer and most importantly the street sellers who push hard every week to reach sales targets.
“We maintain excellent camaraderie between the employees in the department. We treat each other with respect and talk regularly about challenges and finding solutions thereto,” he said, adding that each and every person is a valuable link in the chain of success.
According to him the street sellers are the backbone of his department as they strive towards reaching targets every week. “All of them are working hard to sell as many newspapers as possible. They share the same passion for news just like every other person at Polokwane Observer.
It is a privilege to work with a team where relationships are built on trust and respect.”
Thursdays and Fridays means getting out of bed early to get to the office and to start with the distribution process. “Most important is to get the sellers on their respective corners where motorists can easily buy a copy of the week’s reality news while waiting at a traffic light. We aim to have them on their corners no later than 06:00. Then follows the routes to the different agents such as convenience stores at filling stations, general retail outlets and other sales points.
On Tuesdays and Wednesdays the return process requires collecting all unsold copies and requiring a lot of exact paperwork and close cooperation with the merchandisers at each agency. Besides this Coetzee has some admin to do while being tasked to keep an on eye on general maintenance of the building and vehicles and he is also in charge of Polokwane Observer’s annual water point at the Mall of the North Marathon.
Like with any other job there are good times and there are challenges. “The biggest challenge is getting the newspaper out on the street on time. The slightest delay either in the printing process or the transportation of the newspaper from Johannesburg to Polokwane during the dark hours every Wednesday can have a massive effect on the distribution process,” according to Coetzee.
The task of safely delivering the collated inserts to Paarl Coldset in Johannesburg and returning with the complete, printed paper in the wee hours of a Wednesday night rests on the shoulders of Meyer. Polokwane Observer is fortunate to have someone with Meyer’s driving experience and skills in this position.
Coetzee maintains good relations with his colleagues and is a firm believer that one should speak up when something is bothering in order to find solutions before it becomes a bigger issue. Prevention is better than cure, he reckons.
Having gained a lot of experience in his working career, Coetzee is clear that Polokwane Observer has made him what he is today. He was thrown in at the deep side when appointed as distribution manager and quickly had to learn how to swim.
“It was a hard learning experience but I never regret one moment. We had some tough times but we had even more awesome times. Social media does have an influence on sales figures. Keeping this in mind creates an even bigger passion for me to still run a department responsible for successfully getting the news out to the people of Polokwane every week,” Coetzee concluded.

Story: RC Myburgh
>>rc.observer@gmail.com