The Diamond Fields Advertiser is a daily newspaper published in Kimberley, South Africa, founded on 23 March 1878.
The earliest paper on the Diamond Fields was a weekly called the Diamond Field , published from 15 October 1870 at Pniel. It moved the following year first to Du Toit's Pan and then New Rush (later renamed Kimberley). Another of the early papers was the Diamond News.[1]
The Independent, owned by William Ling in 1876, was acquired by J.B. Robinson. By the late 1870s the success of the Independent had forced the Diamond Field to close, but with the Diamond Fields Advertiser then emerging as a third paper alongside the Diamond News and the Independent keeping local politicians on their toes in the turbulent years that followed.[2]
During the Siege of Kimberley, the newspaper was the subject of a feud between Cecil Rhodes and garrison commander, Colonel Robert Kekewich. The local newspaper, which was under Rhodes' control, ignored the military censor and printed information that compromised the military.[3][4] Kekewich obtained permission from his superior to place Rhodes under arrest if necessary.
Prominent journalists in Kimberley in the early years included R.W. Murray.[5], and F.Y. St Leger later founder of the Cape Times
The Diamond Fields Advertiser, affectionately known to its readers as the DFA, outlived its rivals and has continued as a daily paper (although the Saturday edition was dropped in the circa late 1960s). Today it is a member of Independent News & Media.
Readership stands at 68 000 mainly in Kimberley and the surrounding region, with a print-run of 11 500 copies.