Times Select was launched in February as South Africa's first digital daily news edition. As of Wednesday, 1 August, Tiso Blackstar’s paid-for subscription model came into effect, which includes the Times Select app as a new value-add for subscribers.

"The app is absolutely necessary for a single daily edition like Times Select," says Times Select editor Fienie Grobler. "It means that the whole edition is available for offline reading, making it a must-have for frequent travellers and people who like the finite experience of a newspaper, but on a mobile platform."

Times Select’s mix of stories, analysis and opinion – from writers including Justice Malala, Tom Eaton, Tony Leon, Andile Ndlovu, Jonathan Jansen, Darrel Bristow-Bovey, Wendy Knowler and Ranjeni Munusamy – are presented in a format that aims to attract a loyal readership.

Grobler says, "In addition to our news and analysis offering, the interactive daily crosswords are a great drawcard, which is proving to be a huge hit with readers. It provides something different and entertaining that works beautifully in a mobile environment."

Overseen by Tiso Blackstar's head of product, Percy Goetsch, and built in conjunction with Cape Town companies F8 Development and Flat Circle, the app is a product of South African technology and is the first of a suite of new apps planned for Tiso Blackstar products in the coming year.

With the launch of the app, Tiso Blackstar offers a number of subscription options, which can be digital-only or include print delivery of the Sunday Times. Subscribers can opt for unlimited access to Times Select (including the app), the Sunday Times website and e-edition (a digital replica of the printed newspaper) for R80, or with a delivery of the print edition of the Sunday Times for a cost of R89 per month.

Times Select subscribers also have access to exclusive content from The Daily Telegraph in the United Kingdom, and an option to subscribe to the Daily Telegraph at a discount. Times Select content is also available with a 24-hour day pass, for a cost of R10.

Existing Sunday Times subscribers will continue to have free access to content on the Times Select website, as well as the app.

For more information, visit www.timesselect.co.za. You can also follow Times Select on Facebook or on Twitter.