The last editions of these long-standing community newspapers were released on 26 September 2025, signaling the conclusion of over a century of community-based storytelling in the remote Karoo towns of the Northern Cape.
Publisher and editor of Noordwester Uitgewers, Frans Hugo, who has expertly guided these publications for decades, has confirmed that the decision was driven by financial unsustainability.
Noordwester Uitgewers, like many small publishers, tackled the significant challenges of decreasing advertising revenue, increasing print costs and a dwindling subscriber base. These issues are intensified by the shift from print to digital, as well as the seclusion of rural audiences.
For years, Hugo has been admired for resilience contrary to expectations. Renowned for personally delivering piles of newspapers throughout the expansive reach of the Karoo — often covering over 1 200 kilometers in just one week — Hugo embodies the essence of community journalism.
His dedication transformed these local newspapers into vital cultural resources for towns such as Calvinia, Prieska, Brandvlei and Sutherland. These papers served as the source of essential updates from the local council, community achievements and local obituaries — amplifying voices often overlooked by national media.
Being regarded as the cornerstones of community media, the ceasing of these publications highlights a growing crisis for local journalism in South Africa.
While urban community papers have been digitalised and prioritise adopting social-first strategies, rural publications often lack the configuration or funding to make the same shift. Without these essential factors, communities are at risk of losing a crucial information source, a vital historical record and a source of belonging.
This brings us to address a broader reality: we are in an age of the decline of local news ecosystems. As print publications start to deteriorate, voices within smaller communities subside, and local news moves yet further away from national awareness.
The bitter conclusion of Noordwester Uitgewers' publications thus elucidates an urgent demand for larger support structures, financing regimes and digital advancements intended for rural publishers.
As the presses fall silent in Calvinia, the urgency heightens: media influence, agencies and journalism schools hold the responsibility to maintain archives, fund local publications, and empower rural voices. Without immediate action, more communities risk slipping into silence.
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*Images courtesy of Karoo Space and Canva
**Information sourced from OFM, Karoospace, Voice of America, straitstimes, dailymaverick and maroelamedia.