ABSTRACT

The siSwati-language press is non-existent in the Kingdom of Eswatini (formerly Swaziland) despite attempts from some quarters to publish in the indigenous language. Such attempts have been unsuccessful. By contrast, several Zulu newspapers, such as Ilanga Lase Natal (The Sun of Natal) and Isolezwe (The Eye of the Nation), have proven successful. This chapter explains and illuminates the challenges of the siSwati-language press that have resulted in their failure. The paper compares South Africa’s isiZulu-language tabloid, Isolezwe, and Eswatini indigenous-language newspapers to explain the reasons for their extinction. To understand why indigenous-language newspapers have disappeared in Eswatini, the chapter relies on unstructured interviews and historical research. The authors conclude that siSwati-language newspapers have struggled because of the ideological domination of English over siSwati, negative attitudes and perceptions of emaSwati towards their language, and the failure by advertisers to see the potential of vernacular newspapers as advertising vehicles.