Africa Commons is a digital platform that aims to enable Africa to control, digitise, and disseminate its archival riches—those within the continent and items residing internationally. Integrated on a single platform, Africa Commons currently comprises four modules: 

1. South African Magazines,  
2. Southern African Films and Documentaries,  
3. East African Newspapers, Magazines & Films, and  
4. History and Culture 

Focus on the South African Magazines Collection 

More than just words on a page, some of South Africa’s most iconic editors, writers, artists and photographers found expression in print magazines like Grace Magazine, Drum Magazine and The Township Housewife. These publications showcased the voices, creativity, and the everyday lives of South Africans from the 1930s to the 1970s. The digital era has been the death knell for many print magazines and newspapers around the world, making archiving these publications a priority. 

Fortunately South Africa’s magazines from the grand era of print, the mid to late 20th century live on in an archive made available by Coherent Digital and offered to you in partnership by Sabinet. Known as Africa Commons: South African Magazines, the offering—with a focus on magazines for African audiences—also includes iconic titles like Hi-Note!, She (a picture magazine), and Contrast, with even more titles being added regularly. 

During a creative period known as the Sophiatown renaissance, a new generation of African journalists, writers, and artists working on these magazines offered an unfiltered glimpse into the cultural and social landscape of the time. The iconic names include: 

Packed with investigative journalism, captivating photography, thought-provoking fiction, fashion trends, and lifestyle features, the magazines paint a vibrant tapestry of a South Africa in flux. It is said that each issue of a magazine was read by several people, passed from hand to hand on the streets, in the jazz clubs or on the trains. Drum Magazine became a symbol of African urban life, with 240 000 copies distributed each month across eight countries in Africa—more than any other African magazine. 

Many of the magazines featured in the South African Magazines collection were syndicated across the continent and contained content specifically developed for the African English-speaking world, so they also provide a view of African society. Sabinet is currently working with Coherent Digital and library partners to source more assets and fill gaps in existing magazine collections. 

More information 

Africa Commons is a unique combination product that consists of four modules that digitise, disseminate and showcase African cultural materials. Users locally and internationally can find thousands of digital collections of African materials in one place. Organisations located in Africa can upload their relevant content for free to Africa Commons: History and Culture located on the Coherent Digital Africa Commons platform to make it more visible and discoverable. Click here for more information or contact Sabinet directly.