TURNS 180 YEARS OLD
Celebrating South Africa’s oldest continuously published newspaper (1846–2026)
Message from the Editor, Riquadeu Jacobs
The 180th anniversary of The Witness could not have come at a more important time for the newspaper.
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27 February 1846
The Natal Witness first published by founder/editor-proprietor David Dale Buchanan in Pietermaritzburg.
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1880
Under editor Alfred Aylward the paper became a daily publication.
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1907
First photographs appeared in the paper.
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January 1909
The paper drops front-page advertisements, replacing them with news + photographs — a modernising step.
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Late 1941
Majority share-holding purchased by James Craib, beginning the Craib family era of ownership.
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1966
Company (the paper) acquires control of the booksellers/publishers Shuter & Shooter, expanding commercial printing & publishing operations.
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1981
Installation of a state-of-the-art new press (computer era printing) under editor Richard Steyn, enabling more advanced production.
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2000
Media24 acquires a 50 % stake in the then-Natal Witness Printing & Publishing Company; a strategic partnership for growth.
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2010
Media24 completes acquisition (remaining shares) and relocates printing + editorial staff to new Willowton premises. The installation of the new Willowton press (circa 2010) gave the paper full-colour printing capacity, making The Witness one of the few South African papers printed entirely in full colour.
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August 2013
The Witness launches a Durban & Coast edition, expanding its footprint beyond Pietermaritzburg region.
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October 2020
The organisation launches “digital-first” strategy. Stephanie Saville appointed editor, under editor-in-chief Yves Vanderhaeghen.
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February 2021
The Witness turns 175
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28 February 2022
Capital Newspapers acquires ownership of The Witness, bringing the title back to Pietermaritzburg.
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October 2023
Riquadeu Jacobs appointed editor
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February 2026
The Witness turns 180.
