Isigidimi sama-Xosa (Eng trans: The Xhosa Messenger) was one of the earliest African-language newspapers in South Africa. It was founded by James Steward of the Glasgow Missionary Society, and was published at Lovedale, present day Alice, Eastern Cape. From October 1870 to December 1875 it was published as the isiXhosa language section of the Kaffir Express newspaper, and included translations from the English language section as well as isiXhosa language letters and articles. During this period it was under the editorship of Elijah Makiwane and John Knox Bokwe. From 1876 it was published as the first independent African-language only paper and edited by Elijah Makiwane, John Tengo Jabavu, and William Wellington Gqoba. The articles and news reports were authored by African local correspondents who represented at least 27 towns in the Eastern Cape, and two towns in Natal. The paper also included letters to the editor, which were sent from a broad range of the newspaper’s readership. This newspaper focused on publishing general interest news, but also became a mouth piece for the earliest African political organizations, fostered political and social debate and commentary in articles and letters to the editor, and featured some of the earliest African protest poetry. Missionary reluctance to publish pieces with explicit political themes ultimately led the editor J.T. Jabavu to break away and found the more openly political Imvo Zabantsundu newspaper. Isigidimi eventually lost readership to Imvo Zabantsundu and closed in 1888 after its editor W.W. Gqoba passed away.
