Magazines News South Africa

Two contracts already for new publishing venture

Already the publishers of RCCI News, the official publication of the Randburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Velstra Publishing has also recently been appointed as the contract publishers for Chat - the Chartered Accountants Medical Aid Fund (CAMAF) member magazine. Vestra is a new joint publishing venture between Velvet Square and AstraGraphics, which are also still operating independently.

Says co-publisher Michelle Swart, "Set to replace the email version of Chat, the makeover was developed to create a more comprehensive platform for CAMAF to communicate with its members."

Chat will be distributed to approximately 20 000 members on a quarterly basis. The average age of CAMAF members ranges from 30 to 35, most of whom belong to the middle to high-class income category and are Gauteng-based.

Divided into three sections namely CAMAF News, Health & Wellbeing and Lifestyle & Leisure, Chat's content will cover a variety of topical features across a broad spectrum of subjects, in order to provide readers with informative, educational and interesting information.

Advertising sales will be managed by Stanton Porter Marketing, represented by Simon Steadman. The first issue will be launched in November 2006.

Velvet Square is owned by Michelle Swart, who is also co-publisher and editor of various magazines. Velvet Square focuses on outsourced editorial solutions and provides editorial content for several publications including Business Day HomeFront, the in-flight magazine for British Airways, UpFront and Wedding Collection.

Owned and managed by Allan Swart, AstraGraphics is a well-established graphic design and publishing company that specialises in the design of printed literature, including reproduction and printing. AstraGraphics already publishes five magazines, three of which are animal publications, with the flagship magazine being Home Handyman that enjoys a circulation of 14 255 (ABC certified) and is sold throughout South Africa and neighbouring countries.

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