Informed, in touch and empowered – the reader who likes Afrikaans news online and in print

"Teaching has always been my calling," says Margaux Adams, 42, a high school teacher from Kuils River in the Western Cape.
Margaux and her husband Jayson, 44, an area manager for Vox fiber installation, have an eight-year-old daughter Lindsay and a five-year-old son, Jayden. The family rent a sunny townhouse a stone’s throw from the school where Margaux teaches Afrikaans to grade 8 and 9 learners.

"I really believe in the power of education to change lives and newspapers are a valuable tool at school and at home," Margaux says. "That is why I encourage the kids in my class to read, read, read anything and everything they can get their hands on."

For Margaux, her family, learners and community mean everything to her. That is why she feels compelled to stay well-informed through both digital and traditional news sources.

Based on research conducted by Media24, she is the 'hybrid' reader you will be reaching should you want to advertise in Media24's premium Afrikaans news titles.

Community in context

Margaux leads by example. "I am a Netwerk24 subscriber. The platform keeps me up to date with what’s going on in the world, in the country and more importantly, in my community," Margaux says.

"I try to scan the main headlines while I’m cooking breakfast for my noisy bunch every morning. That way I know I will be clued up when I arrive at school. I will also be in touch with how news events have impacted the learners and my fellow teachers."

The recent taxi strike in the Western Cape is one such example.

"A lot of our learners rely on taxis to get to school. The fact that I was able to follow the events as they unfolded, helped me to gain insight and empathy into how the strike impacted the daily lives of those close to me," she says.

She also keeps abreast of news relating to education and public schools in South Africa.
"If I see a headline for an interesting opinion piece or interview about teaching or education, I usually make a mental note to read it when I get home in the afternoon," she says.

Entertainment and escape

As a teacher and a mom, her days are never dull and she rarely has time for herself. When she does, she embraces Netwerk24 to escape.

"Let’s be honest, we all have our guilty pleasures, don’t we? Mine involves watching local soaps like Arendsvlei and Suidooster and reading all about my favourite celebs. I like the fact that I can open the PDF version of this week’s Huisgenoot as part of my Netwerk24 subscription."

Another feature she enjoys on Netwerk24 is the 'Luisterboek' section, which are monthly audiobooks in Afrikaans.

"Books are expensive, but as a language teacher, I love reading and stories. I listen to audiobooks on Netwerk24 while I cook dinner. This helped me discover how much I like Deon Meyer’s writing – I’ve bought three of his books so far."

She also enjoyed Minder as Niks, a daily soap produced by Netwerk24 with a new five-minute episode released each day.

"I also really like the video interviews by Mia Spies, she always puts the news into context with relevant guests."

The smell of ink

Despite being a keen user of online news sites, Margaux still enjoys the feeling of a newspaper in her hands.

"The school is subscribed to Die Burger and we get a few copies in the staff room every morning," she says. "I make sure to grab one and page through it in the staff room during break time. I often pick up on features or news snippets here that I might have missed online."

She uses the newspaper as a teaching tool almost daily.

"I cut out interesting articles for my learners; use comic strips in vocabulary tests and use advertisements for comprehension tests," she says.

"The kids really love this, because it brings the ‘real world’ into the classroom and helps them stay in touch with what’s going on in the world. There is also no better way to prepare for a public speaking competition than by reading the newspaper daily," she continues.

Once a week, Margaux also reads Die Son’s free website.

"This is a great resource for community-based news. I particularly enjoy the agony aunt column, the weekly short stories, and interviews about regular people overcoming obstacles."

Empowered by information

At home, she feels empowered by access to both the printed newspaper and Netwerk24.

"Although we are renting our home, we take good care of it and have made it ours," Margaux says. "I really love cooking and my small veggie patch is my pride and joy. I read every single tip by Babylonstoren’s gardeners in Rapport on Sundays and often find creative new recipes on Sarie, Kuier and Tuis when I use the Netwerk24 search function."

As an active churchgoer and a passionate member of her community, Margaux also spearheaded the development of a small patch of open land next to the high school.

"Here we cultivate a variety of vegetables like spinach and tomatoes that anyone can pick if they need it. My learners and fellow congregants have become involved, and we have the support of the local Spar, who sponsor vegetables and help us cover the water bill," she says. "And where do you think I got tips on starting our own compost heap? On Netwerk24 of course."

Family first

When she is not busy with school commitments or with her community work, Margaux, Jayson and their children enjoy going for day trips to the Waterfront in Cape Town, or to Gordon’s Bay for a beach day.

"We pile everything into Jayson’s Ford Ranger XLT double cab, his pride and joy, and fill our children’s cups with adventures and quality time," she says. "When the kids and I drive around for after-school activities and play dates, we take my Toyota Urban Cruiser – I just love my baby. I bought her second-hand through WeBuyCars."

Financially secure

Margaux and Jayson believe in securing the best possible future for their children. One way of doing this is by working very carefully with their finances and reading articles on saving, budgeting and investment opportunities online and in print.

"We opened investment accounts for ourselves and for our children through Capitec Bank. They can use the money towards their studies."

Margaux and Jayson believe in raising financially savvy children.

"We include them in our monthly grocery shopping by paging through the leaflets from Checkers and Pick n Pay together and comparing prices. We usually get these in the copy of Die Burger that I bring home from school, as well as in our local community paper," she says. "Jayden is crazy about tools and knows exactly what a Ryobi drill costs, while Lindsay is saving up for a new scooter."
Although the family does all their grocery shopping in-store, Margaux prefers to shop for her own clothing online.

"As a mom with small children, clothes shopping isn’t always practical with kids in tow, so I prefer to shop for myself online at Superbalist. The same goes for make-up and skin-care products, and I can’t resist a pop-up link of a Poetry sale on Netwerk24."

*Profiles have been built based on extensive Media24 research into its loyal Afrikaans readers.