Screen Africa was founded in 1988 as a monthly trade newspaper for South Africa’s film, broadcast and theatre industries. Over the years, this industry expanded from being – in global terms – a relatively small and isolated one, to a flourishing, multi-million dollar sector of international standard and reputation.
Screen Africa has grown with the business it caters to and represents: the newspaper gave way to a glossy magazine, the readership increased, as did the page count. The profile of the publication grew to such an extent that, today, there is no organisation operating within South Africa’s film and broadcasting industries – production houses, post-production facilities, equipment sales and rental businesses, advertising agencies, government offices, the list goes on – that does not have copies of the current issue of Screen Africa prominently displayed in its reception areas. All stakeholders in the industry, from the hottest young creatives, to the most seasoned technicians, from film students to policymakers, look to Screen Africa for news, analysis and thought leadership.
In short, Screen Africa has become the industry bible for South Africa’s film and broadcasting sectors. As South Africa has increasingly taken its place as a leader and partner among Africa’s 54 nations, Screen Africa has broadened its horizons to include film and broadcast industries across the continent. The magazine is now constantly expanding its footprint in one of the world’s most exciting, diverse and vibrant entertainment and communications sectors and expanding its vision from a South African one to a truly pan-African one.
Screen Africa also maintains an ever-expanding web presence, utilising its website (www.screenafrica.com), e-newsletters and the electronic editions of the magazine. Originally intended to supplement the print magazine, these platforms have rapidly developed lives of their own, showing steadily increasing audiences across all of them.