Company type | Subsidiary |
---|---|
Industry | Media |
Predecessor | Johncom, Avusa, Tiso Blackstar Group |
Founded | 2012 |
Headquarters | , |
Key people | Prakash Desai (CEO) |
Products | Publishing, entertainment, retail |
Parent | Lebashe Investment Group |
Divisions | Picasso Headline, Hirt & Carter, Nu Metro Cinemas (sold), Exclusive Books |
Website | arena |
Arena Holdings, formerly known as Tiso Blackstar Group, Johnnic Communications, Avusa and Times Media Group, is a media company in South Africa. Avusa means "to rouse feelings, to revive and evoke action". The name was changed in 2007 in order to avoid confusion between Johnnic Communications and Johnnic Holdings. [1] The name was changed again (to Tiso Blackstar) in 2017. [2] Currently, they are facing restructures of the company. [3] [4]
In 2012, Avusa was acquired by a unit of Mvelaphanda Group and renamed Times Media Group, which was then relisted on the JSE. [5] In 2013, Times Media Group acquired the remaining 50% of BDFM from Pearson. [6]
In 2019, Tiso Blackstar Group sold its print, broadcasting and content assets to Lebashe Investment Group for R 1.05 billion. It was then announced that the assets would form a new company called Arena Holdings. [7]
Avusa created a network of its own websites, named Times Media Live, in 2010. In 2011 this network began to expand from three sites to 21 in 2014, made up mostly of disparate websites within the Group (Times Live, [10] Sowetan Live, [11] BDLIVE, Financial Mail, HeraldLive and more) including the African representation of The Daily Telegraph . In doing so, Times Media Live became the second-largest publisher network and thereafter, Times Live the second largest website in South Africa. Times Media Live was the first large media-owned publisher to reach profitability in the 2013 financial year. In 2014 The Rand Daily Mail was resuscitated as an online-only brand.
Picasso Headline currently publishes:
In April 2019, Tiso Blacksar relaunched Vrye Weekblad.
On 27 November 2016, The Sunday Times published a story claiming that South African radio and television personality, and former Idols SA judge, Gareth Cliff had "admitted to giving fellow Idols SA judge Marah Louw the spiked drink that led to her notorious slurring and swearing on live TV", with further suggestions made that the incident had resulted in Louw's contract not being renewed. [12] As a result of the article, Gareth Cliff was the victim of many insults on social media, before releasing a statement on Facebook confronting the false allegations printed in the Sunday Times. Susan Smuts, Managing Editor of the Times, responded to Cliff's lawyer, admitting that there had been "misinterpretations". Cliff, via his lawyer, demanded an unreserved apology from the Times. [13]
Mosima Gabriel "Tokyo" SexwaleVenda:[sexwále]; is a South African businessman, politician, anti-apartheid activist, and former political prisoner. Sexwale was imprisoned on Robben Island for his anti-apartheid activities, alongside figures such as Nelson Mandela. After the 1994 general election—the first fully democratic election in South Africa—Sexwale became the Premier of Gauteng Province.
The Sowetan is an English-language South African daily newspaper that started in 1981 as a liberation struggle newspaper and was freely distributed to households in the then apartheid-segregated township of Soweto, Johannesburg, Gauteng Province.
A head tie, also known as a headwrap, is a women's cloth head scarf that is commonly worn in many parts of West Africa and Southern Africa. The head tie is used as an ornamental head covering or fashion accessory, or for functionality in different settings. Its use or meaning can vary depending on the country and/or religion of those who wear it. Among Jewish women, the Biblical source for covering hair comes from the Torah in the book of Bamidbar Parshas Nasso which contains the source for the obligation of a married woman to cover her hair. An eesha sotah is a woman whose husband suspects her of having acted immorally. The Torah commands the Kohein to take various steps to demonstrate that the sotah has deviated from the modest and loyal path of most married Jewish women. Among the procedures, the pasuk clearly states: "ufora es rosh haisha..."and he shall uncover the hair of the head of the woman (5:18). One can only uncover something that has previously been covered; in this case the Torah is referring to the married woman's hair. Among Christian women in certain parts of the world, such as Africa and the Caribbean, the head tie is worn as a headcovering in obedience to 1 Corinthians 11:4–13.
The Sunday Times is South Africa's biggest Sunday newspaper. Established in 1906, the Sunday Times is distributed all over South Africa and in neighbouring countries such as Lesotho, Botswana, and Eswatini.
Donato Francisco Mattera, better known as Don Mattera, was a South African poet and author.
The Rand Daily Mail was a South African newspaper published from 1902 until it was controversially closed in 1985 after adopting an outspoken anti-apartheid stance in the midst of a massive clampdown on activists by the security forces. The title was based in Johannesburg as a daily newspaper and best known for breaking the news about the apartheid state's Muldergate Scandal in 1979. It also exposed the truth about the death in custody of anti-apartheid activist Steve Biko, in 1977.
Mondli Makhanya is a South African journalist who has been editor-in-chief of City Press since 2016. He was formerly the editor of the Mail & Guardian from 2002 to 2003, the editor of the Sunday Times from 2004 to 2010, and the editor-in-chief at the Times Media Group from 2010 to 2013. He is also a former chairperson of the South African National Editors' Forum. He is well known for his political commentary, currently published in City Press columns.
TimesLIVE is a South African online newspaper that started as The Times daily newspaper. The Times print version was an offshoot of Sunday Times, to whose subscribers it was delivered gratis; non-subscribers paid R2.50 per edition in the early years. It has been owned by Arena Holdings since November 2019 and is the second-largest news website in South Africa.
Theophilous James Bennett "Theo" Botha is a South African shareholder activist. He has queried many companies in the area of good corporate governance, ethics, executive compensation, environmental practices and Black Economic Empowerment. He has also criticized South African corporate governance guidelines as too lenient.
Bhekokwakhe "Bheki" Hamilton Cele has been the South African Minister of Police since February 2018. He was National Commissioner of the South African Police Service for two years, until misconduct allegations led to his suspension in October 2011 and removal in June 2012. He has also served as Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, on the KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council, and in the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature. He is a member of the National Executive Committee of the African National Congress, and was imprisoned on Robben Island during apartheid.
Olaf Walter Hennig is a discreet South African businessman based in London. He is known for his involvement in the Black Economic Empowerment programme and his experience in the mining industry.
The Nat Nakasa Award for Media Integrity is an award presented to a South African media practitioner in newspapers, magazines, broadcasting and online print media and whose reporting celebrates freedom of speech and media integrity. The award is managed and presented by the South African National Editors Forum (SANEF).
The Wound is a 2017 South African drama film directed by John Trengove. It was screened in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival and the Panorama section of the 67th Berlin International Film Festival. The film opened the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival 2017. It was selected as the South African entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 90th Academy Awards, making the December shortlist.
Nicholas Dlamini is a South African cyclist, who most recently rode for UCI Continental team Q36.5 Continental Team.
Mango Groove: Live in Concert is a concert video released by South African fusion group Mango Groove in 2011.
Zodwa Wabantu is a South African media personality, socialite and dancer.
Shoprite Holdings Ltd (Shoprite) is Africa’s largest supermarket retailer, operating 3,326 stores across the continent. The company's headquarters are in Brackenfell in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Shoprite is a public company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, with secondary listings on both the Namibian and Lusaka stock exchanges. The Shoprite Group employs more than 153,000 people and is the largest private sector employer in South Africa.
Marah Teboho Louw , also known as Marah Louw Thomson or Mara Louw, is a South African singer, songwriter and actress. She was born on 17 July 1952 in the suburb of Mzimhlophe in Soweto, South Africa.
Fred Khumalo is a South African journalist and author. His books encompass various genres, including novels, non-fiction, memoir and short stories. Among awards he has received are the European Union Literary Award, the Alan Paton Award and the Nadine Gordimer Short Story Award. His writing has appeared in various publications, including the Sunday Times, Toronto Star, New African, The Sowetan and Isolezwe. In 2008, he hosted Encounters, a public-debate television programme, on SABC 2.