130 amazing years of journalism excellence
YOU would already have noticed a change in our masthead today.
In a few months, your most favourite newspaper turns 130 years old.
Although our birthday is only on October 17, we couldn’t wait to get the party started.
And we are going to celebrate this milestone with you, our loyal readers, subscribers and valuable advertisers.
We could never have achieved this without you.
We have travelled this journey with you, through the early years of Johannesburg, which is only a year older than us, through the turbulent years of apartheid rule, the vibrancy of Sophiatown in the 1950s, the defiance period and through this democracy we enjoy today.
As the oldest Joburg newspaper, we have seen it all. When Nelson Mandela walked out of prison after 27 years of incarceration, we were there. When South Africans went to the polls in 1994 for the country’s first democratic elections, which gave us our first black president, The Star was there.
When the unstoppable sounds of kwaito blew out of our townships, creating instant heroes for our youth, we were there to witness the dawn of a new era.
When the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup in 1995, we joined in the celebration that marked South Africa’s return to the global sporting stage. When Bafana Bafana came out of the shadows to win the Africa Cup of Nations a year later, in 1996, we told the story of a nation emerging out of the dark years to join the global sporting family.
The world has changed, constantly, around us from the first day we went to print in 1887. From instant cameras to Instagram; from Sobukwe to Biko; from Charlotte Maxeke to Winnie Mandela; from Hani to Sisulu; from Amandla to Nkandla; from letterpress to Wordpress; from Mandela to Marikana; from Polokwane 2007 to state capture – we have not missed the action, the defining moments, the history, the conversation.
Join us as we embark on a journey of another 130 years of service to the people of Joburg. We will continue to give our readers unrivalled coverage of not only Joburg, but the country at large.
In this era of fake news, The Star remains a credible voice amid the noise. We have lived up to our promise to give you balanced news, fair comment, the truth and nothing but the truth.
Today, join us as we embrace a new future – a digital future – and as we write the pages of history.
We have festivities lined up for the rest of the year, and we also have prizes galore for our readers.
Soon we will be inviting you to share with us stories of your relationship with The Star over the years.
We look forward to another 130 years with you. – Editor