Middle East & Africa | Ja to change

The meaning of South Africa’s most popular magazine

For more than a century Huisgenoot has reflected shifts in Afrikaner culture

|JOHANNESBURG

A GLANCE AT its website belies the historical significance of Huisgenoot, the magazine with the highest circulation in South Africa. Among the most-read stories in early October were “Skokoomblik toe bruidegom se rug tydens onthaal breek” and “Vrou se oog per ongeluk met supergom toegeplak”. For those unfamiliar with Afrikaans, the language spoken at home by 12% of South Africans, these tales concern the “Shocking moment when groom’s back breaks during wedding reception” and the sticky situation in which a “Woman’s eye is accidentally glued shut with super glue”.

This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Ja to change”

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From the October 16th 2021 edition

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