Freedom of the press
The Cape Town Press Club is a non-profit, voluntary organisation established in 1975 to support the freedom of the press. It is the largest, most active and oldest press club in South Africa, probably in Africa.
Our membership
The membership is made up of journalists, foreign correspondents, people in the media, communications industries and business, consular and diplomatic staff – all of whom share a keen interest in current affairs and wish to participate in civil life.
Our events
We provide a strictly non-partisan platform for headline-makers, public and newsworthy figures to speak to the media and our members. We hold over 40 functions a year. Our events have a unique quality – neither a press conference nor an expensive, closed function, they are an opportunity to meet noteworthy people in person, and our speakers always take questions from the floor.
Our speaker events take the form of a breakfast, luncheon, cocktail or dinner function and usually receive extensive coverage in the print, radio and online media, and are usually recorded (sometimes broadcast live) on SABC TV and ENCA, depending on the newsworthiness of the speaker.
Our speakers
Our speakers are among the most influential people in the country, from presidents, our chief justices and speakers of parliament to the leaders of the major political parties, cabinet ministers and mayors. We also host media personalities, academic and high-level analysts, speaking on the economy and society, and the occasional international rock star. Previous speakers include former presidents Mandela, Motlanthe, Zuma and De Klerk, as well as world famous artists such as Annie Lennox. View the full list of speaker here.
Our purpose
The Cape Town Press Club is committed to upholding the freedom of the press, supporting investigative journalism and stimulating public discussion.
We are committed to the future of ethical journalism in South Africa. The press club awards a R20,000 bursary each year from the Barry Streek fund to a deserving, full-time journalism student. The funds for this have been raised by our membership.