The magazine’s title was conceived to reflect the confidence of its targeted readers, who are excited to be part of today’s growing, optimistic and multicultural South Africa. i is also the universal symbol for information, which is presented in spades with both style and panache.

“i is truly a much-needed hybrid for today’s reader; a beautifully produced, entertaining and substantive modern lifestyle magazine wrapped up in a Sunday newspaper,” said New Media’s business development director, Andrew Nunneley.

In preparation for the launch, New Media put its top editorial brass to task. The brief: to develop a sleek contemporary look, thought-provoking editorial and a unique smart tone to fill the magazine’s covers, which measuring in at 275mm in width by 350mm in length, are extra-large. The resulting magazine is innovative in both aesthetics and content

i’s inaugural issue hits the road with the rumble and roar of a Harley. Its cover story by well-known journalist, Sipho Hlongwane, looks at Gauteng’s new breed of bikers: smart, savvy professionals who are hooked on the exhilaration of Harley-Davidson. Hlongwane will also pen a regular column titled ‘Word Up’, and the inimitable Sam Wilson, whose honest humour keeps South Africans laughing at themselves, will fire off a weekly column called ‘This Just In’.

Regular sections take familiar lifestyle subjects and flip them in unexpected new ways. In iExcel, switched on technology entrepreneur Gareth Knight talks intimately about lessons he’s learned. Sport gets the i treatment in iPlay, with a fascinating deconstruction of a recent World Cup rugby play. There’s a great twist on the usual celebrity feature in iSpy, in which readers ‘tag along’ with celebrities as they engage in an everyday activity, and iTech looks at the technology devices celebs are using. Conversely, iStyle turns away from the big names to highlight everyday people with extraordinary personal style, and iDiscover offers unstuffy modern-day advice on issues of etiquette, like how to set a proper table.

There’s lots to whet the appetite in iEat Drink Savour, like this season’s most refreshing rosés, and a feature which gives both critics and readers a crack at restaurant reviewing. And, on the back page, iQ looks at the life of iconic label, Louis Vuitton.

New Media’s entrée into the Sunday lifestyle weekly market follows hot on the heels of another key appointment to implement a customer content strategy for Vodacom. New Media has also recently launched W, a quarterly fashion glossy for Woolworth’s, following in the footsteps of its successful Woolworth’s TASTE magazine, launched in 2003.