SowetanLIVE is the website of the Sowetan, the English-language SA daily newspaper that started in 1981 as a liberation struggle publication. It is owned by Arena Holdings.

Until August 2019, the SowetanLIVE website also published content from the weekly celebrity news and gossip tabloid Sunday World. The Sunday World newspaper was sold in mid-2019 to Fundudzi Media. For Sunday World content prior to August 31 2019 please email syndication@arena.africa.

All SowetanLIVE online content is free to read, but readers should register (quick and free) to comment on articles or subscribe to our range of newsletters. (Already registered on BusinessLIVE or TimesLIVE? Sign in with the same details.)

The SowetanLIVE app is free to download from the Apple App Store, the Huawei AppGallery or the Google Play store. 

Read more about the Sowetan and SowetanLIVE.

Online registration, subscriptions & cookies

How do I register? 

Click here to register for free. We will send you an email to verify your email address. Once you’ve registered, you can comment on our articles, sign up for our email newsletters and manage your newsletter preferences via your profile.

How do I sign in or out?

Click here to sign in with your email address and password, or click here to sign out. You can also use the same details to sign in on BusinessLIVE, TimesLIVE and other websites in the group, though your subscriptions are valid only for the websites included in each package.

I'm having trouble registering or signing in. Who do I contact?

Contact us at Tel: 0860 52 52 00 or helpdesk@sowetanlive.co.za, 7am–4pm SA time (GMT +2) on weekdays or 7am–12pm on Sundays.

If you're registered but you can't sign in, check that you’re using the same email address that you used to register, and that you’ve got the correct password. You can also click here to reset your password via email.

I want to change my name, surname, password or email address. What do I do?

Once you’ve registered and signed in, you can edit your name, surname or phone number via your profile, or set a new password. If you're not signed in, you can reset your password via email.

You can also manage your email newsletter preferences via your profile.

Unfortunately you cannot change your email address directly via your profile page. Simply sign out and register again with your new email address.

What are cookies and why do I need them to use SowetanLIVE?

Cookies are tiny, harmless files used by websites to keep track of your personal preferences and settings – for example, remembering that you have already previously signed in and not asking you to do so again. If you do not have cookies enabled on your browser, some of the services and settings on SowetanLIVE might fail.

Our call centre might sometimes ask you to clear your cookies. Read how to delete cookies in Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari.

Print subscriptions

Can you deliver the Sowetan to me?

We offer home delivery of the Sowetan print edition in all major metropolitan areas. If you’re on a delivery route, your newspaper should be delivered to your door by 7.30am, Monday to Friday. We deliver only to addresses that we can access straight away (freestanding homes or complexes with security). We cannot use access codes or entry keys.

The minimum print subscription term is six months. Please allow up to two days for delivery of your first copy. 

Contact us at Tel: 0860 52 52 00 or helpdesk@sowetanlive.co.za:

• • to subscribe to the print edition;
  • to ask about delivery routes in your area;
  • if your newspaper arrived late, damaged or not at all;
  • to change your delivery address (we need one week’s notice);
  • to buy a gift subscription;
  • to cancel your subscription (subject to a reasonable cancellation fee) or ask about the balance;
  • to swap from the print edition to the e-edition, or to add the e-edition to your subscription; or
  • to suspend your subscription for a certain period (we need one week's notice) or have your newspaper redirected to a temporary address.

Why do you need my e-mail address?

Your email address is our unique identifier for your subscription.

When does my subscription expire?

If you pay by EFT, credit card or debit card, you will find your subscription end date on the letter confirming your subscription as well as on your renewal notifications, which we will send to you before the end of your subscription.

If you do not wish to receive these notifications, why not consider renewing by direct debit? Your payment will be taken monthly and your subscription will simply continue until you tell us to stop. To activate a direct monthly debit payment plan, contact us at Tel: 0860 52 52 00 or helpdesk@sowetanlive.co.za.

Email newsletters, comments, mobile apps & e-editions

How do I sign up for your email newsletters or unsubscribe from a newsletter?

When you register at no cost, you’ll be asked whether you’d like to receive any of our email newsletters. Once you’ve registered and signed in, you can manage your newsletter preferences via your profile.

My email newsletter has not arrived in my inbox. What do I do?

Check your junk/spam mail or rejected mail folder in case your mail server rejected the newsletter. If that is what happened, try to adjust your email settings. If you haven't received it at all, email us at feedback@sowetanlive.co.za.

How do reader comments on your articles work?

Registered readers can use the comment facility below our articles. These comments are managed via a reliable service called Disqus that is used on many other websites too. Your SowetanLIVE Disqus profile is created when you register on our website. It does not pick up details from any previous Disqus profiles you might have.

Your name and surname will be displayed with all your comments. Read our comment moderation policy for guidance before you start.

Is there a SowetanLIVE app?

Download the SowetanLIVE app free of charge from the Apple App Store, the Huawei AppGallery or the Google Play store and get your news on the go.

It's light and fast to load, which makes it easy on the eye and on your pocket. The app is updated constantly to include the important news of the day. You'll also find celebrity and entertainment news; our popular “Picture of the Day” feature; and business and sport updates, among other features.

Editorial matters, errors & advertising

How do I contact the Sowetan?

See our SowetanLIVE contacts page for specific guidance. You can also email feedback@sowetanlive.co.za with your query. 

Who are the editors of Sowetan and SowetanLIVE?

Nwabisa Makunga is editor-in-chief of the Sowetan and Zingisa Chirwa is the digital editor of SowetanLIVE.

Does the website have RSS feeds?

We have a range of RSS feeds for our websites and individual sections. Get the full list here.

How do I submit an opinion piece?

We do not publish opinion pieces already sent to other newspapers. Submitting an uncommissioned opinion piece is no guarantee that it will be published and we reserve the right to edit all opinion pieces. Email your submission to the Sowetan print edition at newsdesk@sowetan.co.za or to SowetanLIVE at tellus@sowetan.co.za.

How do I submit a press release or story suggestion?

Email your information to the Sowetan at newsdesk@sowetan.co.za. It will then be evaluated by our news desk. (We don’t publish press releases but they are considered for use in news reports or features.)

How do I report an error on the SowetanLIVE website?

Let us know if you spot any errors, big or small, so that we can correct them. Email feedback@sowetanlive.co.za with a link to the article and explain the problem clearly and concisely.

How do I advertise on SowetanLIVE or in the Sowetan?

Check the details on our advertising page or get in touch with our advertising team on +27 11 280 3000 (JHB), or digitalsalesgroup@arena.africa for digital advertising sales, and advertising@arena.africa for print advertising.

You can also go here to see our rate cards.