'The Times' has come. Farewell until Sunday

The Times Editorial: This is my final editorial for The Times before I begin my new job as editor of the Sunday Times. The past three years have been fantastic.

I do honestly believe that The Times has the best readers any newspaper could hope for.

If you want incisive, intelligent and engaging comment on the state of South Africa, you need look no further than the letters and comment pages of this newspaper, where the readers have their say.

The Times was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We designed this newspaper, hired its staff and built the newsroom from scratch.

The vision of the Avusa shareholders and management was extraordinary.

While others cowered and took a machete to their budgets, Avusa launched a new newspaper, creating dozens of new jobs and boldly powering up the country's first fully interactive newsroom.

The result is that The Times enjoys a daily national circulation of more than 130 000 and a readership of close to 400 000.

The website has become the destination of choice for those who are proudly - and robustly - part of the bold new South Africa. It has built up an audience of more than a million unique users, some 500 000 of whom are local users.

The days when the naysayers talked of the demise of The Times have passed. Advertisers, readers and our staff know better.

The Times is destined to go from strength to strength as it rises to the challenges of publishing in a digital age.

Its new editor, Phylicia Oppelt, has the experience and the record to take it to new heights.

To the readers, staff and all those who have supported The Times, I'll see you on Sunday.