All good things must come to an end
It’s hard to imagine that when we celebrated KICK OFF magazine’s 28th birthday in February this year, it would be our last one as a print publication. KICK OFF magazine was launched in February 1994 as a magazine that was going to give a voice to South African players at the dawn of democracy. And due to popular demand, in September 1996 we changed our print frequency from monthly to fortnightly, which was followed by the launch of our website, kickoff.com, in 1999.
As the popularity of the local game grew in the new millennium, so did we, and our greatest achievement was by far the 2010 FIFA World Cup where we were official partners.
But unfortunately, with rising inflation, increasing fuel and paper prices, along with a decline in circulation and advertising sales, the last 10 years have been the toughest that we have faced, not just as a publication but the print industry as a whole.
The COVID-19 pandemic which saw local football postponed for almost six months had a devastating impact which made it difficult for us to reach pre-pandemic levels once the football returned.
And in light of this, a difficult decision to close the print edition of KICK OFF magazine was made, with this September edition being the last one.
Reaching 28 years as a print publication is a massive achievement that cannot be taken for granted and this is all thanks to our loyal readers who showed us great support over the years.
From om the very first edition with Sam ‘Ewiee Ewiee’ Kambule on cover in February 1994 to the last edition with Themba Zwane, our readers had been there with us all the way.
As a publication we have also played a huge role in helping launch other magazines like Sports Life and Sports Rap, while we had our own TV show, Diski NineNine on eTV.
For me personally, walking to the KICK OFF magazine offices as a fresh-faced intern in May 1999, I never in a million years imagined that I would spend an unforgettable 23 years doing what I love the most – let alone becoming an editor of my favourite publication.
From the past editors—Mark Gleeson, Richard Maguire, the late Sandile Mchunu, Neil Greig and Sibusiso Mjikeliso—to every former and current members of staff, we have all strived to give our readers ‘Soccer at its best’ while enjoying what we do. But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.
While we close the chapter on our print publication, our digital platform, kickoff.com, will remain and our journalists around the country will keep you up to date with the latest breaking news, transfer stories and match reports.