Maroela Media is a South African Afrikaans-language digital media company founded in 2011 to provide a comprehensive online home for Afrikaans speakers worldwide. It publishes daily breaking news, explanatory reporting, and opinion, alongside lifestyle, arts and culture, language, recipes, sport and agriculture content. The outlet reaches more than 1.5 million unique visitors a month and is regarded as the largest free, independent Afrikaans news platform. Under chief executive Susan Lombaard, the newsroom and video unit produce original reporting, interviews, and community-focused features for a broad Afrikaans audience in South Africa and abroad. Beyond publishing, the organisation runs several initiatives centered on Afrikaans language and community development. Draadloos, Maroela’s production arm, supplies magazine-style programming and an annual Afrikaans radio serial at no cost to community radio stations across South Africa. Weet, its school-focused digital encyclopedia, provides curriculum-aligned reference material in Afrikaans. Maroela-mark, the organisation’s online marketplace, offers Afrikaans-oriented products from various suppliers. The company places Afrikaans language and culture at the core of its editorial mission. It fosters a lively, participatory community across platforms and regularly hosts discussions on public life, education and identity. Maroela Media originated within the broader Solidarity Movement, which supported the establishment of an independent Afrikaans digital news outlet. That community-centred mandate continues to shape the organisation’s coverage and partnerships. Today the company combines daily journalism with language- and culture-focused projects that strengthen Afrikaans public life, operating as Maroela Media (Pty) Ltd in Gauteng.

Source: Code for Africa

Last updated date: July 2026

Location:
Centurion, South Africa
Year the organization started publishing:
2011
Languages:
No information available
Type of coverage:
International
Countries of coverage:

Content

Editorial coverage:
Generalist, focused on multiple topics
Type of content produced by theme:
Education
Politics
Sports
Economy and business
Lifestyle
Health and well-being
Entertainment and culture
Law and crime
Society and human rights
Economy and finance
Journalism genres:
Interviews and reporting
Opinion
Investigative journalism
Narrative journalism
Journalism coverage types and techniques:
Breaking news
Explanatory journalism
Tech platforms and other mediums used:
Newsletter
Messaging service
Social media platforms
Podcast
Mobile app
YouTube
WhatsApp
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Tiktok
LinkedIn
Pinterest

Audience and reach

Social media audience

Facebook number of followers:
661,561
Twitter number of followers:
96,709
Instagram number of followers:
124,694
YouTube number of followers:
22,137
Tiktok number of followers:
43,385

Management and team

Founders

Female:
1
Male:
1
Founders:
Susan Lombaard Nico Strydom
Directors:
Susan Lombaard, Suné van Heerden, Andries du Toit, Christel Cornelissen, Christo Brits, Elaine Krige, Esté Meyer Jansen, Eugene Lottering, Kobus Bezuidenhout, Louis Gagiano, Leonie Bezuidenhout, Nico Strydom

Team

Full-time employees:
40
Part-time employees:
5
Freelancers or consultants:
0
Volunteers:
0

Business structure and revenue sources

Organization tax status:
For-profit

Why is this profile included?

This media outlet is part of our directory because it meets SembraMedia’s inclusion criteria: it produces original content, serves the public interest, and works with independence and transparency. This profile was developed using information provided directly by the media outlet, through surveys or interviews. We aim to keep the information current, but SembraMedia does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness, and recommends verifying any key details with the media organization.

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