• W24 and Parent24 are the latest additions to News24's subscription service.
• Focusing on lifestyle content for women, and parenting, the two sites add depth and width to News24's subscription offering.
• Both sites have new newsletters - Down the Aisle for brides and Bright Spark for parents who want to help their children excel in school.

From this week Parent24 and W24 form part of the News24 subscription service. This means subscribers now have access to premium parenting content and articles on topics of importance to women.

W24 is geared toward the modern South African woman and publishes articles about topics that include fashion, beauty, weddings, careers and relationships, to name a few. The latest addition to their offering is a subscriber-exclusive wedding newsletter called Down the Aisle, that offers tips for brides and stories about real weddings.

"These lifestyle topics are so central to one's identity and should be discussed among each other and with experts - that's what W24 aims to be for women: a meeting place and partner in unearthing their highest potential, if you will," says W24 editor Nthabiseng Nhlapo.

Nhlapo has been in the media industry for 15 years, having worked predominantly at Media24 in various roles in both magazines and newspapers. She's a media studies Master's student at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), undertaking research on media representation of children who are perpetrators or victims of crime.

"I have seen how Media24 continues to innovate, set industry standards and provide an offering that's quite unmatched in South Africa's media landscape. So, as we move into the next phase of digital publishing, I'm ecstatic with what W24's new offering has in store, from text-to-speech functionality to a comments section. One can't help but be elated at the trajectory we're taking," she says. 

"I'm also looking forward to interacting with women on a slightly more personal level about the issues that matter to them; issues that we should all be talking about."

Parent24 editor Elizabeth Mamacos is a mother to two young children, so she's still "in the trenches" herself. While raising children can't be compared to going to war, it can sometimes feel that way, she says.

"As editor of Parent24, I strive to bring readers the most relevant and useful news and information in a way that is quick and easy to consume, whether you have a baby on your hip or a teen in the fridge. We're all in this together, and I encourage readers to reach out to chat, share their experiences or ask a burning question."

At the heart of each Parent24 story is concern and care for families. The team covers topics that South African families can relate to, with advice and insight from both local and international experts. Readers are actively invited to ask questions and the Parent24 team does their best to find the answers. The site also has many pages of free study resources to help kids do their best at school and a new, subscriber-exclusive newsletter, called Bright Spark, delivers these stories in your inbox every week.

"Parents are people too! We care about the same things everyone else does, but we have the added privilege of raising, and protecting, our children," says Mamacos.

"This is your space to learn, share and grow as a parent."

To become a News24 subscriber and get access to Parent24 and W24 premium content, click here.