Xhosa language newspapers

Christian missionaries were responsible for the beginning of the movement towards vernacular language publishing in South Africa: the first piece of Xhosa writing was a hymn written in the early 19th century by the prophet Ntsikana.

[1] The earliest known black newspaper in Southern Africa was founded by the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape.

[2] A newspaper for the "literary and religious advancement of the Xhosa" (September 1850), it was edited by J. W. Appleyard of the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society.

After the demise of the first newspapers, European missionaries founded Isigidimi Sama-Xosa (The Xhosa Messenger), which appeared between October 1870 and December 1888.

---> Discontent with the intervention of the missionaries concerning the content of Isigidimi samaXhosa, John Tengo Jabavu founded Imvo Zabantsundu newspaper.

Nathaniel Cyril Umhalla (or Mhala), R. R. Mantsayi, Thomas Mqanda, George W. Tyamzashe, W. D. Soga, A. H. Maci and F. Jonas, with financial backing from Cecil John Rhodes, launched the news- paper which supported the English-speaking Progressive Party.

As Trapido put it, Izwi Labantu broke Imvo Zabantsundu's "monopoly of news and propaganda" and thus enhanced the Black Press's role as "a forum for those who wanted to co-ordinate African political activity."

Tiyo Soga's students later founded Imvo Zabantsundu (African Opinion, November 1884– )[2] Inkundla Ya Bantu was first published in April 1938 under the name Territorial Magazine.

[8] Inkundla Ya Bantu was the only independent, 100% black-owned newspaper at the time of its inception and for the duration of its lifespan, that played a significant role in African politics.