Cape Times

The Cape Times is an English-language morning newspaper owned by Independent News & Media SA and published in Cape Town, South Africa.

As of 2012 the newspaper had a daily readership of 261 000 and a circulation of 34 523. By the fourth quarter of 2014, circulation had declined to 31 930.

History

The Cape Times had its origins in the great economic and social boom years that followed the Cape's attainment of "Responsible Government" (local democracy) in 1872. The first edition of the newspaper was published on 27 March 1876 by then editor Frederick York St Leger. It was the first daily paper in southern Africa, and soon became one of the principal newspapers of the Cape. Modelled on The Times, its primary target was the poor working class, as it attempted to expose early government corruption.

Later bought by Irish group Independent News and Media, the South African portion, including the Cape Times, was sold to Sekunjalo Investments (Independent News and Media SA) in 2013.