The Rising Sun one of Mzansi’s finest newspaper houses turns 40

The Rising Sun is the go-to newspaper for people in Durban and other parts of Mzansi when something “big” happens in their community. I worked as a journalist there in the early 2000s and my telephone was always buzzing with stories, good, bad and the ugly. I am fully aware that most of its readers wait anxiously on its distribution days to ensure they are keeping up with all the goings-on in their community as well as all the specials their local businesses have on offer. And one of the reasons this newspaper house won the hearts of the community is definitely its founder, Vijay Maharaj.

The Rising Sun formula

Since the beginning of this company, the newspaper’s formula has been simple: news from the mouths of those living within the community which has built and won the trust of the people. Secondly, the fact that the distribution is so solid that most businesses flock to this newspaper house to advertise their specials because they know that the advert gets to the consumer, on time, every time, rain or blistering sunshine. Vijay is so diligent with his distribution, that I recall some staff having to open up telephone directories and calling people randomly at their homes to find out if they had received their copy of the newspaper. This was a task for them on a Saturday afternoon.

The Rising Sun office

When I worked at The Rising Sun offices in Florence Nightingale Road, Westcliff, Chatsworth, the staff there felt like they were coming home to work from 8 to 5pm. They have moved since then to a building in Croftdene, Chatsworth. People went beyond working hours at times to ensure that the deadlines and distributions along with advertising went out on time for publishing. We would often receive visits from Amichand Rajbansi who also felt very much at home at that office. And other celebrities holding on to their portfolios and press releases hoping for us to write profiles on them.

Vijay and his Ferrari showroom

It was during my time there as a young reporter that Vijay drove into work in a red Ferrari, similar or the same one as Tom Selleck’s Magnum PI. I never got that close to a Ferrari before and well my curiosity piqued. Vijay is a very endearing and friendly human being who is open to conversation with any one who approaches him. I’ve seen it first hand. So, when he visited our newsroom, I asked him the question that had been nagging at me: “How can you afford a Ferrari?”

A story full of determination

He smiled and said: “Hard work.” And because Vijay is the humble type, he needed to explain himself. This is the story I recall from 2003. Vijay was born and raised in Umzinto in the north of Durban, a small town. He had a vision to start a newspaper and so he did. It was called the Chatsworth Sun (I will edit if I am incorrect) Long story short, Vijay would take a train into Chatsworth and walk around the area, speaking to business people at their stores with a hope they advertised in his newspaper. They did. And the rest is history, really. He also spoke excitedly about how he built his Ferrari showroom at his home similar to the one in Italy.

Winning trust and hearts

Years later with a little name change from the original eight-page community knock-and-drop (free newspaper), Vijay changed its moniker to The Rising Sun. It won the hearts and the trust of the communities that lived in its distribution areas. If there is a major incident in the area, look no further than The Rising Sun to tell you every bit of the story, no holds barred.

And so the empire began

Soon, Vijay was establishing a local newspaper in all the areas of Durban such as Overport, Merebank, Phoenix, Umzinto, and then he went further into Lenasia and the Eastern Cape. His staff were so keen on keeping the dream alive that they would pack up their lives and venture into unknown spaces to help Vijay realise his dream. I think the passion his staff have has a lot to do with how he makes each and every one of them feel: heard. His brothers are also a part of the business.

My time at the newspaper

Even though I worked at The Rising Sun for a short time, three months in total in 2003, I have always kept in touch with Vijay as a friend. He is the sort of person people want to stay acquainted with. I don’t spend much time reading local news anymore so I would have missed the milestone celebration but, I happened to see Vijay’s WhatsApp status and felt a sense of pride for this achievement of his, and thought it fitting that I write an appreciation post. 

Kudos Vijay Maharaj, kudos

People like Vijay should be celebrated. One man’s dream has helped hundreds of people enjoy stable jobs for decades. He is the kind of boss who can share a bunny chow from the same plate as his staff, I have sat at the table and ate with him. The type of person who will take back staff who left for greener pastures only to find out they weren’t running into anything environmentally-friendly. A true gentle soul who deserves this milestone mainly because of his compassion. And to end: Here’s wishing Vijay and The Rising Sun staff another successful 40 years of keeping the communities they serve abreast with all the news and sales they can digest.

I will update this post if I find better images 🙂

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