Competitor and industry research: Newspapers, magazines, trade publications, newsletters

Periodicals are an excellent source for industry statistics as well as information on your competitors. Trade publications – newspapers and magazines that focus on issues affecting a particular industry – often run articles that focus on recent research reports, or they publish their own proprietary market data. You can also find news developments about your competitors and their products. The Economist and other business publications can give you information on business trends and other economic issues that may impact your business. Local newspapers and business journals can provide you with a window into your local scene.

To find these publications, consult the following sources:

• Index to South African Periodicals: The National Library of South Africa provides and offers the Index to South African periodicals, commonly known as ISAP. ISAP is a subject index of articles in periodicals published in South Africa. Online entries date back to 1942. The database contains indexed articles from more than 680 South African periodicals.
• The Economist: The Economist (both the online and physical format) offers authoritative insight and opinion on international news, politics, business, finance, science and technology.
• Forbes Africa: Forbes Africa is the drama critic to business in Africa. The magazine helps readers connect the dots, form patterns and see beyond the obvious, giving them a completely different perspective. In doing this, it delivers sharp, in-depth and engaging stories by looking at global and domestic issues from an African prism.

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