Subscription information & FAQs

TimesLIVE publishes fresh and insightful news and analysis updated continually every day with original, online-only content. 

Within TimesLIVE you'll also find the complete Sunday Times and Sunday Times Daily digital platforms. Articles on TimesLIVE are free to read, but most Sunday Times articles are reserved for our subscribers.

View our subscription packages

Below you'll first find information and frequently asked questions (FAQs) about our subscription packages, including digital and print combinations or questions about the print and e-editions.

Sunday Times Daily

The daily print edition of The Times came to an end in December 2017. Readers can now find exclusive news, opinion, analysis and commentary from leading writers in the Sunday Times Daily digital daily edition (formerly known as Times Select) – most of which is reserved for subscribers.

Published once a day, Sunday Times Daily brings together curated news, premium journalism and opinion from our top commentators. It complements the free, constantly updated news you'll find on TimesLIVE all day and the weekly news from the Sunday Times that is reserved for subscribers.

Read more about Sunday Times Daily or view our subscription packages

Sunday Times subscribers can read Sunday Times Daily at no charge.

More about your Sunday Times subscription

On our online subscriptions page, you can subscribe to the Sunday Times website only or to the Sunday Times in print and online. There is also a day pass costing R15 for 24 hours’ digital access to the Sunday Times.

Print home delivery is offered in all major metropolitan areas. If you live in an existing delivery area, your newspapers will be delivered by 6.30am, Monday to Friday, and by 7.30am on Sundays. 

We can only deliver to addresses that we can access straight away (freestanding homes or complexes with security). We cannot use access codes or entry keys. To ask about delivery routes in your area, contact us on the details provided below.

All subscribers also have access to our TimesLIVE app, which includes the Sunday Times. It's free to download from Apple’s App Store, the Huawei AppGallery and the Google Play store.

To subscribe, you can also contact us on Tel: 0860 52 52 00 or helpdesk@timeslive.co.za. The best time to call is 6am–3.30pm SA time (GMT +2) from Monday to Friday or from 7am to 12pm on Sundays.

FAQs

Why are you charging for Sunday Times content when other websites are free?

Great journalism is expensive to produce. While newspaper publishers depend heavily on advertising revenue, that is not enough to let us bring you all the trustworthy, quality reporting you need. Your support of the Sunday Times means we’ll keep bringing you South Africa’s best news reporting and investigative journalism – and even expand what we do.

How do I register on TimesLIVE or sign in and out?

Registration is free, quick and easy. Once you’ve registered, you can comment on our articles and sign up for a range of useful email newsletters. You can also then manage your own newsletter subscriptions.

Click here to register, then follow the instructions to provide your email address, name, surname and password. You’ll then receive an email to welcome you to TimesLIVE (including the Sunday Times).

We will also send you a short email with a link to click to verify your email address. If you have not yet verified your address, we'll remind you of that later.

To sign in, click here and enter your details. To sign out, click here.

You can also use your TimesLIVE or Sunday Times details to sign in on BusinessLIVE (which includes Business Day and the Financial Mail), SowetanLIVE and other websites in the group, though any paid subscription applies only to the websites included in your package.

How do I subscribe to the Sunday Times digitally?

Click here to start the subscription process on the Sunday Times website and choose the package to which you would like to subscribe.

You'll be asked to register on the site (if you haven't done so before) or to sign in, and thereafter you'll be able to pay for your subscription.

I already have a personal Sunday Times print subscription. Do I get access to the Sunday Times website and app?

Yes, you do. All print subscribers can also read all the articles on the Sunday Times website and on our apps for iOS and Android devices.

To gain access, please register online (see above for details) using the same email address you supplied when subscribing to the print edition. That allows us to link your subscription correctly.

If you’ve already registered online using a different email address, you can either register again with your other email address, which will automatically pick up your print subscription, or contact us at Tel: 0860 52 52 00 or helpdesk@timeslive.co.za to change your print subscription details to match your online registration.

I already have the Sunday Times delivered to my office via a corporate subscription. Do I get access to the Sunday Times website?

Please contact our call centre at Tel: 0860 52 52 00 or helpdesk@timeslive.co.za so we can link your Sunday Times account to your corporate subscription.

Does my Sunday Times subscription give me access to BusinessLIVE?

A Sunday Times subscription includes access to the Business Times section on the Sunday Times website – those articles are also listed in the Sunday Times Business section. On our BusinessLIVE website, BusinessLIVE Premium and Premium Plus subscribers also have access to Business Times articles.

However, Sunday Times subscribers don’t have automatic access to BusinessLIVE Premium, and BusinessLIVE Premium subscribers don’t have access to the full Sunday Times.

I live outside South Africa. Can I subscribe?

Yes, you can receive printed copies of our newspapers in Zimbabwe and Botswana, or subscribe to our e-editions anywhere in the world. Please contact our call centre at Tel: 0860 52 52 00 or helpdesk@timeslive.co.za for assistance.

Is there a pensioner discount?

We offer a pensioner discount on our Sunday Times subscription packages for readers older than 60. We use identity numbers to validate pensioners' subscriptions. When you choose a subscription package online, you'll be asked for your ID number to verify your age.

If you do not have a South African ID number or if you have any other queries about the pensioner discount, please contact our call centre at Tel: 0860 52 52 00 or helpdesk@timeslive.co.za so we can assist.

How do I change my subscription package to another one?

You can change to another package at any time. Please contact our call centre at Tel: 0860 52 52 00 or helpdesk@timeslive.co.za for help.

Why do you ask for my e-mail address?

Your email address is our unique identifier for your subscription. It makes it easy for us to locate your current subscription package.

How do I change my name, surname or email address on TimesLIVE or the Sunday Times?

Once you’ve registered and signed in, your name and surname will appear at the top right of the website. Hover the mouse over your name and click the “Profile” button. (On your mobile phone, click on the menu bar at the top right to find the “Profile” option.)

On your profile, you can edit your name and surname or manage your email newsletter subscriptions. 

Unfortunately you cannot change your email address via your profile page. If you’re a registered user but haven’t subscribed, please sign out and register again using your new email address.

If you’ve already subscribed to the Sunday Times, please sign out and register again using your new email address. Then contact us at Tel: 0860 52 52 00 or helpdesk@timeslive.co.za to connect your subscription to your new account.

I have subscribed to the Sunday Times but I can’t access subscriber-only articles.

Please check that you’ve signed in – your name and surname should appear at the top right of the website if you’re on a desktop computer. On mobile, if you click on the menu bar at the top right of the screen, you’ll see the “Sign in” option if you’re not signed in yet.

If you still can’t proceed, please contact our call centre at Tel: 0860 52 52 00 or helpdesk@timeslive.co.za.

Why can't I pay for a single article or a single edition?

TimesLIVE and the Sunday Times website are updated continuously with online-only content by our expert newsroom. There is therefore no single digital “edition” at any given time.

At this time we are unfortunately also unable to offer per-article payments – also called pay per view or micropayments – though this may be an option at a later time.

With how many devices can I access the Sunday Times website with one subscription?

You’re allowed three device connections for each Sunday Times subscription you hold.

My newspaper didn't arrive. What should I do?

Please contact our call centre at Tel: 0860 52 52 00 or helpdesk@timeslive.co.za for assistance.

I subscribed but have not yet received a copy.

Please allow up to two weeks for delivery of your first copy. If you have still not received your first issue, contact us at the details provided above.

My copies are arriving late, damaged or not at all. What should I do?

Please contact our call centre at Tel: 0860 52 52 00 or helpdesk@timeslive.co.za for assistance.

I am moving house. How do I change my address?

Contact us at the details provided above. We require one week’s notice to guarantee that your address can be changed in time for your move date and to verify that you are moving to an area we service within our delivery network.

What is the minimum subscription term?

The minimum subscription term is six months.

When does my subscription expire?

If you pay by EFT, credit card or debit card, you will find your subscription end date on the letter confirming your subscription as well as on your renewal letters.

Can I buy a gift subscription?

Yes, you can buy a subscription as a gift. You can do this by contacting us at the details provided above.

When will the first edition of my gift subscription be delivered?

Please allow up to two weeks for delivery of your first copy. If you have still not received your first issue, contact us at the details provided above.

Why are you writing to me before my subscription has ended?

If you pay by credit card, debit card or EFT, we will send you renewal notifications. To ensure that you are able to renew your subscription in time to guarantee an uninterrupted service, we will send these renewal letters to you before the end of your subscription.

If you do not wish to receive these letters, why not consider renewing by direct debit? Your payment will be taken monthly and your subscription will simply continue until you tell us to stop sending you copies of the newspaper. To activate a direct monthly debit payment plan, contact us at the details provided above.

How do I renew my subscription?

If you pay by credit card, debit card or EFT, we will send you advice and renewal prices ahead of the end of your subscription.

I want to cancel my subscription or enquire about the balance. What should I do?

You may cancel at any time by providing notice to us in writing. Cancellation is subject to a reasonable cancellation fee. Contact us on Tel: 0860 52 52 00 or email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za and we will gladly assist you.

I am going away. Can my subscription be suspended?

Delivery of the printed newspaper can be suspended while you are away.  Contact us on Tel: 0860 52 52 00 or email helpdesk@timeslive.co.za. Please allow at least one week's notice. You’ll need your subscriber number. You can also have your newspapers redirected to a temporary address, as long as it is within the same country and to an area where we deliver. Although delivery of the print paper will be paused, your subscription will remain active, and you can access your news digitally via our websites and e-edition apps (click on the e-edition tab on the newspaper web page for access and instructions on how to download these).

I already subscribe to the print edition. How do I swap to the e-edition or add the e-edition to my subscription?

Contact us at the details provided above. We will gladly switch your delivery channel or add a delivery channel.

How many people can access an e-edition using my subscription?

Two users may access the e-edition at a time.

Is my online payment secure?

Information security is critical to our business. Our payment partner, PayU, provides payment technology to online merchants in 18 countries. Its servers are PCI-DSS compliant, which keeps your card information safe. Your card details are never exposed to the merchant. PayU also protects your information during transmission by using 128-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption. Read more about PayU's security measures.