SAfrican Newspaper 1st to Print in Local Language

JOHANNESBURG – The editor of South Africa's most widely circulated weekly says the national paper will become the first to be printed in Zulu, the language of the country's biggest ethnic group.

Sunday Times editor Ray Hartley told the Associated Press Tuesday that a 32-page Zulu edition will be launched in the eastern Kwa-Zulu Natal province Sunday.

Hartley said Zulu is an important language in politics and commerce in South Africa. "It's a language that's on the up, and a lot of Zulu language speakers are also on the up," he said.

Hartley said newspapers have had success in the Kwa-Zulu Natal region, and there's a growing market for a national newspaper in Zulu. The Sunday Times expects a circulation of more than 10,000 and hopes to expand, Hartley said.