Perskor

Perskor (Die Perskorporasie van Suid-Afrika, i.e. “the press corporation of South Africa”) was a South African press group (1971-)

Origins and founding

Founded on 1 April, 1971, through the malagamation of two older companies based in the Transvaal – Voortrekkerpers and the Afrikaanse Pers (1962) Beperk (APB). It became an enormous influence on the journalistic, literary and educational scenes in the country.

Numerous authors worked for the company in some capacity over the years, including prominent playwrights like Bartho Smit, Chris Barnard, Jeanne Goosen and P.G. du Plessis, The company finally ceased to exist as an independent entity in 1998, when it was taken over by Caxton Publishers

Newpapers

The wholly owned Perskor Afrikaans newspapers after their founding were: Hoofstad, (1968 tot 1983), Oggendblad (1971- 1983), Die Transvaler (1937 -1983), Die Vaderland (1936 -198*) They also became co-founders (with Nasionale Pers) and 50% stakeholders in, Rapport (1970-), the dominent Afrikaans Sunday newspaper, and of The Citizen (1976-, an English newspaper secretly funded by the Nationalist Party, to counter the re[ortage of the English press in the apartheid era) and of the Xhosa]] newspaper, and Imvo Zabantsundu (1884-1998)

Journals and magazines

Perskorsoon established itself as the leading publisher of popular journals and magazines, through their imprint Republikeinse Pers, included the Farmers' Weekly, Personality, Scope, South African Garden and Home, Darling, Family Radio and TV, Rooi Rose, Your Family, Bona, Living and Loving, Radio en TV Dagboek and Keur. .

Book publishing

The company was a prominent publishers of literary and other works, as well as educational materials.

The end

In 1996 the market educational and press market had become fraught with trouble so Perskor amalgamated with Kagiso publishers and was wholly taken over the Caxton Publishers in 1998.