Balaodi Publishers is a 100% black owned publishing firm that was established in 2000. The main objective of this enterprise is to focus attention on indigenous African languages in South Africa by getting involved in their growth and development. The firm is involved in this process by publishing written documents like newspapers, magazines, books and others in these languages. Seipone Newspaper
was launched in August 2002 as a newspaper that was publishing in three indigenous languages of Sesotho sa Leboa / Sepedi, Xitsonga and Tshivenda and was called Seipone / Xivoni / Tshivhoni. The newspaper carried articles in all the three languages and was distributed in the areas where the three languages were spoken in Limpopo and parts of Mpumalanga. The newspaper was published as a monthly in the first year of operation from August 2002 to August 2003. On its birthday in 2003, the newspaper was published as a fortnightly. After challenges that the newspaper encountered, in order to cut down expenses, the newspaper had to cut out publication in Xitsonga and Tshivenda at the beginning of 2008 to focus on Sesotho sa Leboa / Sepedi. Currently, Seipone newspaper is published as a fortnightly publication although the newspaper is still committed to publishing as a weekly. The newspaper is published as a 12 page tabloid with approximately 50% colour. The amount of colour is dependent upon the number of colour adverts that are carried. 10 000 copies are printed per issue and the paper is distributed in Capricorn, Sekhukhune, Waterberg and parts of Mopani district municipalities were Sesotho sa Leboa / Sepedi is widely spoken.
