For 45 years the Caxton Group has owned the space at the intersection of local communities and the important conversations affecting them. In 2025 this was no different, as Caxton Media used its local newspapers and digital platforms to fully support last week’s Women’s Shutdown, the G20-aligned initiative to combat Gender-Based Violence and Femicide (GBVF).
As the longstanding, national leader of community media, the Caxton Group understands the forces affecting South African households and shaping their narratives. It also understands the importance of providing platforms for brands and advertisers to support those narratives, whether around everyday concerns like economic pressure on households or broader social responsibility issues.
“Caxton Media’s involvement in initiatives like the Women’s Shutdown strengthens our ability to support advertisers in exactly the right place, where they need to be. Our deep audience understanding, strong community insights, and ongoing commitment to creating brand-safe, credible media environments enables us to connect brands to communities in the right way, no matter the issue at hand,” says Rob Fedder, Caxton Media group executive.
Aligning with its core mission to inform, educate and empower, Caxton Media leveraged the power of its extensive print and digital network to create awareness around the G20 Women’s Shutdown.
“The statistics are a national crisis: 15 women are murdered every day in South Africa. This is not a silent epidemic; it is a deafening emergency that demands immediate and collective action. We are committed to moving beyond headlines to become a proactive agent of change, integrating the pillars of the GBVF fight into our editorial and corporate mandate,” adds Fedder.
On Friday, 21 November 2025, Caxton Media changed its corporate and media brand profile pictures to purple to ensure the shutdown was visible across its digital landscape. Its entire network of publications and social media channels dedicated space to sharing its support for this initiative and urging individuals to do the same.
Internally, Caxton Media staff wore black and participated in the 15-minute standstill at 12pm, lying down for 15 minutes to honour the women murdered every day in the country.
“This was more than just a campaign; it addressed a real and urgent need,” says Fedder. “Our communities are hurting and as a media house rooted in these very communities, we have a responsibility to act. Caxton Media participated in the Women’s Shutdown not as a bystander but as an amplifier with the potential to make real and lasting change for the women and children in our local communities. Our extensive media network enables advertisers to do the same.”
