YOUR SAY

Firstly, I am loving the new-look FAIRLADY – the subtle refresh in layout is brilliant. I have been a reader of FAIRLADY for many years. Your magazine is not only intelligent, interesting and well put together visually, it is also entertaining and relevant to me, a 41-year old South African woman.

But on to my reason for writing: Even before Covid-19 changed all our lives, the magazine industry was in turmoil. What people don’t realise is that it is not magazine sales that make publishers money, but advert sales. Sadly, advertisers are lured away from print advertising by the sparkly promise of cheap (or free) social media advertising – ‘influencers’ and the like. So yes, the cover prices of magazines have had to steadily increase in an effort to mitigate this. Only recently we heard of the sad demise of a string of mags that had been around as long as I can remember. More reason for us, the readers, to continue our support of proudly SA ones like FAIRLADY. Yes, R80 seems like a lot of money, but most of us probably spend that much on a pizza that is scoffed in minutes. I for one will be savouring my monthly printed treat slowly, and with relish. Please keep on keeping on! Sivan Goren

Ed: Sivan, thank you so much for understanding. It is so heartening to have our hard work (we’re a tiny team) acknowledged and valued.