Rosebank Killarney Gazette broadens its reach to some north-eastern Joburg suburbs

The Rosebank Killarney Gazette is welcoming new community members and advertisers from some north-eastern suburbs of Johannesburg into its coverage area.

This, as Caxton Local Media has made a tough but necessary decision to cease publishing one of the long-standing titles in its stable, the North Eastern Tribune, as an independent local newspaper.

The Gazette and the Tribune are not the only affected titles. Caxton Local Media is adapting the footprints of some of its local newspapers to give local and national advertisers the most effective reach.

This is a result of the current tough economic climate coupled with the company’s solution-driven response to changes within its communities.

By evolving some of its local newspapers’ footprints, the company will ensure it continues to produce top-quality, hyperlocal news for readers and delivers the right market at the right time and place for its advertisers.

Managing director of Caxton Local Media and Commercial Printing, Jaco Koekemoer, explained, “Our industry, like so many others globally, has been hard hit by Covid-19 and its associated regulations.”

Koekemoer added that the company had incurred massive losses in advertising revenue since the beginning of the nationwide lockdown.

Furthermore, through recent, extensive and independent research, Caxton Local Media discovered shopping patterns, buying behaviours and demographics of people living in some areas have changed drastically in a very short time.

It became apparent that the footprints of some local newspapers in Gauteng metropolitan areas, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal needed to be adapted for the company to provide the best solutions for customers in these markets.

In Caxton Local Media’s Joburg North branch, a portion of the North Eastern Tribune’s footprint and lucrative buying power will now be incorporated in its sister publication, the Rosebank Killarney Gazette.

The Tribune has served the suburbs of Norwood, Sandringham, Lyndhurst, Highlands North, Kew, Orange Grove and surrounds for around 45 years, and residents of these suburbs associate Tuesdays as the day their local newspaper lands on their doorstep.

Tuesdays will continue to be this day for residents in Norwood, Lyndhurst, Sandringham, and surrounds, however from 19 May, they will receive the Rosebank Killarney Gazette.

The coverage area and print order of the Gazette have expanded to accommodate these changes. The Tribune’s readers can also access hyperlocal, national and international news daily on the Gazette’s website www.rosebankkillarneygazette. co.za as well as its Facebook, Twitter (@RK_Gazette) and Instagram (@rosebank_killarney_gazette) accounts.

The Tribune’s website and social media platforms will also cease operating. Caxton Local Media’s Joburg North branch business manager, Norman Dawe, said, “I hold the north-eastern suburbs of Joburg close to my heart, having been involved with these businesses, residents, and suburbs for over 20 years.

“I look forward to this next chapter we are about to embark on, alongside our businesses and community members, as we eagerly pen our new future.”

Just before the nationwide lockdown was implemented, Caxton Local Media’s Joburg North branch also bid farewell to its city-based publication, City Buzz. This experimental publication to reach the student market in Braamfontein, Newtown, Maboneng and surrounds has not proven to be viable at this time.

By making these tough decisions, Caxton Local Media has demonstrated its unwavering commitment to deliver effective solutions for its customers by providing a better reach for its local advertisers and national retailers.

Send your story ideas to the editor, Ashtyn Mackenzie, at ashtynm@caxton.co.za or the group editor, Daniella Graham, at daniellap@caxton.co.za