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Within five years, the paper proved to be a major success in the press industry, hitting high sales in a short space of time. By 2004, daily sales reached 300,000, and reaching 2.3 million people, and was said to be the widest read daily newspaper in
226:. He called his envisioned reader the 'man in the blue overalls'. The Independent Media rejected Du Plessis' business plan and he resigned and went to propose the idea to Media24 executives who bought in the idea. Du Plessis and Media24's first
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ran a front-page slip titled, 'Deon du
Plessis is dead!'. The newspaper's editor-in-chief Themba Khumalo described du Plessis as a "consummate journalist and a taskmaster of note" whose death left a "huge void" at
290:, Deon du Plessis ensured that many more South Africans were able to have access to news and entertainment, and that contributed significantly to changing the newspaper landscape in the country"..
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described his career as "illustrious" and said he would always be remembered for his "outstanding contributions" in South Africa's press industry. It said in a statement: "As the founder of the
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in July 2002. While in management at the
Independent News & Media, du Plessis proposed to the company the idea of a tabloid that would focus on the working class African reader in the
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online newspaper, broke the story of Deon du
Plessis' death with the heading 'Respected newsman Deon du Plessis dies' on 11 September 2011. The next day, 12 September, the
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234:. He served as the publisher of the paper and Themba 'TK' Khumalo as its editor-in-chief. He was nicknamed the 'Great White Hyena by peers in the media industry.'
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in 1994. Before becoming a journalist, the young du
Plessis first served as a military trainee with the South African government in
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to be a profitable and successful business and "that's pretty fast actually as far as newspapers go". His other brainchild was the
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162:. As a journalist he covered the political squabbles and wars between freedom fighters and the colonial governments of
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ATTACK OF THE KILLER NEWSPAPERS! The ‘tabloid revolution’ in South Africa and the future of newspapers
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newspaper in July 2002, serving as its publisher until his sudden death at the age of 59 in 2011 from
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Deon du
Plessis' journalism career began in the 1970s with the Argus Publishing Group, owners of
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copy was published on 1 July 2002, with the front-page heading 'On Top of the World', about
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and the press industry at large while Media24 stated that it was difficult to imagine the
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while a foreign correspondent for Argus Africa news service across the 1970s and 1980s.
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Deon du
Plessis, a man truly larger than life goes on the great sabbatical in the sky
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without him. "His death is devastating for us all," one of Media24's executives,
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for their respective media houses. Du
Plessis then became the deputy editor of
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282:. His leave was starting on Monday 12 September 2011 until January 2012. The
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first met du
Plessis in Angola in 1978 while they both covered the
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336:, Timeslive.co.za, 12 September 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2023
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Deon du
Plessis is dead!, Daily Sun, 12 September 2011. Page 1
553:, Daily Maverick, 12 September 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2023
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afterwards and was later made the managing director of all of
577:, gcis.gov.za. 12 September 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2024
399:, Mail & Guardian, 9 June 2008. Retrieved 12 October 2023
516:, Bizcommunity, 12 September 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2023
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Deon du
Plessis: Old school journalist, new school publisher
375:, Bizcommunity, 12 September 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2023
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Deon du Plessis founded South Africa's largest tabloid, the
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Deon du Plessis appoints Themba Khumalo as Daily Sun editor
642:. Op 2 September 2008 aanlyn gepubliseer. Bladsye 786-797
491:, SNL24-Daily Sun, 1 July 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2023
589:, News24, 11 September 2011. Retrieved 10 September 2024
528:. Saflii.org, 1 December 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2023
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in September 2010 said it actually took four years for
565:, News24, 11 September 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2023
435:, Bizcommunity 23 June 2005. Retrieved 11 October 2023
360:, News24, 12 September 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2023
348:, EWN, 12 September 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2023
266:Du Plessis suddenly died on 11 September 2011 from
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514:Deon du Plessis: Larger than life and loved by all
372:Deon du Plessis: Larger than life and loved by all
479:, BBC, 18 October 2006. Retrieved 12 October 2023
346:Editors and journalists pay tribute to Du Plessis
623:In Search of the Daily Sun’s Recipe for Success
387:, Tasmanian Times, Chronicle 61, 2 October 2011
526:Media24 vs Estate of the late Deon du Plessis
278:, just as he was about to take three months'
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411:, Adspace24.co.za. Retrieved 12 October 2023
451:17 December 2005. Retrieved 11 October 2023
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575:Condolences on passing of Deon du Plessis
541:. Bizcommunity. Retrieved 11 October 2023
503:, Bizcommunity. Retrieved 11 October 2023
242:. Du Plessis when he spoke to journalist
501:Media24 to launch a new daily newspaper
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614:The most engaging raconteur I ever met
587:Respected newsman Deon du Plessis dies
563:Respected newsman Deon du Plessis dies
358:Editors pay tribute to Deon du Plessis
196:. He was then appointed the editor of
16:South African publisher (1952 - 2011)
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617:, Thought leader, 15 September 2011.
477:Tabloid grabs South African market
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270:at the age of 59 in his home in
334:Sun sets for maverick publisher
232:Brazil's 2002 World Cup victory
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489:20 great years with Daily Sun
107:1970s until his death in 2011
539:Hamba kahle, Deon du Plessis
397:Our guy in the blue-overalls
26:journalist who founded the
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620:J.D. Froneman, J.D. 2006.
656:South African journalists
385:Farewell Deon du Plessis
284:South African government
636:H. Wasserman, H. 2008.
204:Independent Media Group
156:Independent Media Group
626:. Communitas, vol. 11.
99:Journalist • Publisher
661:South African editors
445:The Great White hyena
317:, said of his death
53:Deon Jean du Plessis
20:Deon Jean du Plessis
606:External references
467:, 14 September 2011
154:, which became the
142:Daniella du Plessis
240:sub-Saharan Africa
134:Vanessa du Plessis
537:Simone Puterman,
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104:Years active
70:11 September 2011
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611:Kanthan Pillay,
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60:South Africa
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671:2011 deaths
666:1952 births
244:Gill Moodie
176:Angolan War
115:Founder of
86:Citizenship
650:Categories
321:References
280:sabbatical
252:Sunday Sun
181:Argus News
164:Mozambique
96:Occupation
632:1023-0556
421:Daily Sun
311:Daily Sun
307:Daily Sun
302:Daily Sun
288:Daily Sun
248:Daily Sun
228:Daily Sun
220:Daily Sun
214:Daily Sun
126:Publisher
117:Daily Sun
29:Daily Sun
272:Houghton
224:township
151:The Star
139:Children
74:Houghton
298:Media24
208:Gauteng
187:Sowetan
160:Namibia
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293:News24
168:Angola
131:Spouse
262:Death
190:and
123:Title
628:ISSN
296:, a
256:Nova
254:and
166:and
67:Died
56:1952
49:Born
206:'s
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