Arena Holdings announces new EC management team

Arena Holdings announced on Friday that there had been a number of changes to the management of its Eastern Cape newspaper titles
STRENGTHENING THE TEAM: Arena Holdings announced on Friday that there had been a number of changes to the management of its Eastern Cape newspaper titles
Image: FREDDY MAVUNDA

Arena Holdings announced on Friday that there had been a number of changes to the management of its Eastern Cape newspaper titles, as it continues to weather the stormy waters of business during a time of challenging market conditions.

MD of operations and corporate services at Arena Holdings Moshoeshoe Monare made the announcement on Friday which will see significant changes in the management of Port Elizabeth-based The Herald and Weekend Post as well as East London-based Daily Dispatch.

“The past five months have been particularly stressful and difficult to all of us,” Monare said.

“We are doing everything in our power to ensure that the business sails through the current storm.

“It is for this reason that we have decided to make changes to the Eastern Cape management team and structure.

According to Monare the changes were aimed at strengthening the team while integrating and unlocking synergies between the Port Elizabeth and East London businesses.

With immediate effect GM of The Herald and Weekend Post, Nadeem Joshua, will be moving to Johannesburg to take up the position of deputy head of national sales, while Ryan Megaw will take the reigns as GM of the Eastern Cape business, responsible for both Daily Dispatch and The Herald.

Daily Dispatch editor Chiara Carter will take over as editor in chief of all Eastern Cape titles and will have a strategic role in unlocking editorial synergies between the individual titles, while Cheri-Ann James will take over as editor of the Daily Dispatch.

The Herald and Weekend Post acting editor Rochelle de Kock, who has been in the position during lockdown, will continue to act as editor in the interim, while Shelley le Roux has been appointed permanently as sales manager for the two titles.

Megaw said he was honoured to be given the opportunity to lead Arena Holdings operations in the Eastern Cape.

“While advertising revenue has been under pressure for some time, and this has been put under even more pressure by the current pandemic, our print readership has been remarkably buoyant throughout lockdown, and the continued remarkable growth of our digital audience means there has never been as large and loyal an audience for our news as there is today.

“We firmly believe that the future of our business lies in reader-driven revenue, and so we will continue to invest in delivering the quality news that our readers need,” Megaw said.

Carter said: “I’m excited to be entrusted with providing strategic direction for such iconic titles.

“I hope to focus on consolidating our recent astronomical growth in digital audiences, reinvigorating the weekend papers and mentoring the many talented, younger editorial staff employed by Arena in this province.” 

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