[1][2][3]: 41 Cohen purchased the linotype machines and printing presses for the newspaper from Emmanuel Mendelssohn, equipment from the defunct The Standard and Diggers' News.
[3]: 42 In 1959, SAAN purchased controlling interests in the Eastern Province Herald and the Evening Post, both based in Port Elizabeth.
[4]: p322 In October 1975, Louis Luyt, an Afrikaner businessman and with secret links to the National Party government, attempt to purchase a controlling interest in SAAN.
[4]: 328–9 It was later discovered, by the London Sunday Times, that Luyts backers included, Axel Springer, John McGoff, Sir De Villiers Graaff and Netherlands based publication called To The Point that was indirectly financed by the South African governments Department of Information, the latter's attempt was eventually exposed during the Info Scandal.
[4]: 328–9 The secretive government operation to purchase SAAN was called Project Annemarie, and was authorised by Bureau of State Security and the Department of Information, and was eventually exposed in part by the Rand Daily Mail.
[4]: 330 The Advowson Trust was formed by members of South Africa's English business community to counter the possible merger when Gordon Waddell's Johannesburg Consolidated Investments (JCI) bought 20% of the shares and the Argus Group purchased 39%.