The website began its life as the Electronic Mail & Guardian (eM&G;), which was initially an e-mail subscription service that allowed readers living outside South Africa's borders to receive M&G; newspaper stories hours before reaching the newspaper's subscribers. Soon after, the service expanded into a searchable online archive, published in partnership with Sangonet, the country's oldest internet service provider. A world wide web site was added, which in turn progressed from producing a weekly mirror of the printed newspaper to generating its own daily news.

Today, the M&G; Online is jointly owned by internet service provider MWeb and publishing company M&G; Media. MWeb is the largest player in the dial-up subscriber market and forms part of the MIH, Multichoice group. M&G; Media publishes the M&G; newspaper and is 87,5% owned by Newtrust Company Botswana Limited, owned by Zimbabwean publisher and entrepreneur Trevor Ncube. The London-based Guardian Newspapers Limited holds 10% of the company and minority shareholders make up the rest.

M&G; Umusa Read more about the Mail & Guardian's corporate social investment projects

The M&G; Online works closely with the newspaper, but has its own dedicated editorial staff to produce breaking news on a daily basis to complement the analytical, in-depth feature articles from the newspaper.

Riaan Wolmarans is the editor. Matthew Buckland is the publisher.

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The Mail & Guardian Previously known as The Weekly Mail. Both its critics and fans still know it for short as The Wail. A South African newspaper, published nationwide each Friday morning, aimed at serious readers.	The Mail & Guardian Online Previously known as eM&G; and the Daily Mail & Guardian. First cousin, once-removed, to the Mail & Guardian. A pan-African daily, electronic-only newspaper, published all day, all week, aimed at readers serious and not so serious.
Mail & Guardian focus Political analysis, investigative reporting, Southern African news, comprehensive coverage of local arts, music and popular culture, and more ...	Mail & Guardian Online focus Local, international and African hard news, publishing analytical, in-depth reports from its print edition, and more ...
History of Mail & Guardian Founded 1985 by a group of retrenched journalists from the deceased Rand Daily Mail. Built up a reputation for nose-thumbing attitude to the establishment and for uncovering Inkathagate scandal. Favourite prison reading of ex-convict Nelson Mandela, banned for a while by PW Botha. In recent years, continues to be a thorn in the side of gravy-train politicians. In 2005, the M&G; newspaper turned 20. Find out more	History of Mail & Guardian Online First online newspaper in Africa, founded 1994 as a service to readers outside South Africa. Evolved into a separate product run by a separate company, but now enjoys a closer relationship as a division of the newspaper. Today, it continues to be one of the top news destinations on the African continent.
Mail & Guardian readers Niche market, interested in a critical approach to politics, arts and current affairs. Large numbers of readers among professionals, academics, diplomats, lobbyists, non-governmental groups. Regularly achieves the highest circulation percentage increases in the newspaper market.	Mail & Guardian Online readers Broad-based readership of South Africans who prefer their news delivered fast and daily. Plus homesick South Africans abroad, would-be tourists, foreigners with a special interest in Africa. Extremely argumentative bunch: see for yourself in our forums.
Mail & Guardian owners Originally owned by hundreds of small shareholders who bought small blocks of shares at R1 000 each, as part of a surge of 'reader power' to respond to the death of the Rand Daily Mail. In the early 1990s, The Guardian newspaper group in London became the largest shareholder when it came to the rescue of the then-ailing company. In 2002, The Guardian reduced its shareholding to 10% and sold the majority share at 87,5% to Zimbabwean media owner and entrepreneur Trevor Ncube. Having relocated to South Africa, Ncube also took over as CEO of the company. Read more about this	Mail & Guardian Online owners Originally a separate division of the Mail & Guardian. In 1997 a 65% share was sold to internet service provider MWeb, the largest player in the dial-up subscriber market. The other 35% share is owned by M&G; Media (owned by Trevor Ncube), the company that publishes the M&G; newspaper.

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