DRUM is a South African online family magazine mainly aimed at black readers, containing market news, entertainment and feature articles.

In 2005 Drum was described as "the first black lifestyle magazine in Africa",[1] but it is noted chiefly for its early 1950s and 1960s reportage of township life under apartheid.

pilot, son of South African financier Sir Abe Bailey and the aviator Mary Bailey Initially under Crisp's editorship, the magazine had a paternalistic, tribal representation of Africans,[4] but within a short time Crisp was replaced and the emphasis moved to the vibrant urban black townships.

DRUM was a "record of naivety, optimism, frustration, defiance, courage, dancing, drink, jazz, gangsters, exile and death".

Lewis Nkosi described DRUM's young writers as "the new African[s] cut adrift from the tribal reserve – urbanised, eager, fast-talking and brash.

"[11] DRUM′s cast of black journalists included Henry ("Mr DRUM") Nxumalo, Can Themba, Todd Matshikiza, Nat Nakasa, Lewis Nkosi and others such as William "Bloke" Modisane, Arthur Maimane, Stan Motjuwadi and Casey Motsisi.

[12] The other journalists who worked there include Bessie Head,[13] Lionel Ngakane,[14] Richard Rive and Jenny Joseph.

The main photographer and artistic director was Jürgen Schadeberg, who arrived in South Africa in 1950 after leaving a war-ravaged Berlin.

He trained a generation of rising black photographers, including Ernest Cole, Bob Gosani and later Peter Magubane.

Magubane joined DRUM because "they were dealing with social issues that affected black people in South Africa.

During that time over 90 short stories were published by such authors as Todd Matshikiza, Bloke Modisane, Henry Nxumalo, Casey Motsisi, Arthur Maimane (alias Mogale), Lewis Nkosi, Nat Nakasa, Can Themba and others.

These stories described the people of the street; jazz musicians, gangsters, shebeen queens and con men and were written in a uniquely Sophiatown-influenced blend of English and Tsotsitaal.

DRUM was distributed in 8 different countries: Union of South Africa, Central African Federation, Kenya, Tanganyika, Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.