Lovedale Press


Lovedale Press is a small South African publishing company that has its origins in 1823 at the Gwali Mission, located in Tyume valley in Alice in the Eastern Cape. John Bennie, from the Glasgow Mission Society was joined by John Ross in 1823, who brought the Ruthven Printing Press and printed the first Xhosa words in December 1823. The church used the press to publish works that mirrored Scottish missionary values, and develop potential through education and evangelism.

History

Bennie and Ross set up another mission station on the Ncera River in November 1824. This would become eventually become the Lovedale Mission. The original press was destroyed during The Frontier War. A replacement press was set up in 1839.
In 1841, the Lovedale Missionary Institute was opened. The press was again destroyed during the War of the Axe. The current Lovedale Press dates from 1861.When the Institution opened up a department and took on the task of printing isiXhosa texts.
Initially Lovedale Press focussed on providing books and pamphlets for educational and evangelical purposes. Bennie’s first published work in isiXhosa entitled: “Zonke Inkomo zezi ka-Tixo”. Initially vernacular literature publishing was limited to the Christian faith and the bible and hymnbooks were translated into vernacular languages.
Later the printing press would become a pioneer printer of African literature, carrying "history and heritage" within it.

Notable publications and authors

Lovedale Press has an enormous Xhosa printing and publishing heritage. Isigidimi Sama-Xosa was one of the first isiXhosa language newspapers which was printed from 1870 - 1875 by Lovedale Press.
  • U-Samson by S.E.K. Mqhayi, who adapted the biblical story of Samson and used the narrative to narrate the realities facing black South Africans whilst avoiding censorship, was published by Lovedale Press in 1907
  • L Kakaza wrote Intyatyambo yomzi in 1913 and Vi Swartbooi and her novel UMandisa in 1934.
  • Ityala lamawele by S. E. K. Mqhayi is the first extant novel in the Xhosa language and was published in 1914 by Lovedale Press.
  • Mhudi, a novel by S.T. Plaatje, was published by Lovedale Press in 1930
  • Ingqumbo Yeminyanya by A C Jordan published in 1940 by Lovedale Press, translated into English in 1980 and then turned into a TV series
This press assisted with the formation of a non traditional elite,
and intellectualised isiXhosa as a scientific, research, and justice language.

Printing and Publishing

Vernacular literature came from missionary presses and their Christian perspectives
Up until the late 1920s, Lovedale Press consisted of four separate departments. Newly appointed R.H.W. Shepherd bundled these units into a single powerful organization, that would dominate vernacular language publishing. He advocated for author training, mobile libraries and a publishing monopoly, to improve efficiency and could also pay Lovedale workmen wages below stipulated trade union rates. He also signed an agreement with the First Secretary General of the ANC to publish Mhudi in English. Plaatjie had been searching for a publisher for years.

Current status

In 2023, the Pan South African Language Board commemorated the 200th anniversary of the written form of isiXhosa and acknowledged Lovedale Press’ historical significance and the contribution made towards the advancement indigenous canonical writing. However, the recognition was not enough to address the financial crisis experienced by Lovedale Press. and bankruptcy. The Lovedale Press Trustees have consulted with the Thabo Mbeki Foundation, Fort Hare Foundation, Pan South African Language Board, University of Fort Hare, Nelson Mandela University, Rhodes University, National Heritage Council of South Africa, National Library of South Africa, South African Library for the Blind, Provincial Department of Sports, Recreation, Arts and Culture and the Eastern Cape Provincial Heritage Resource Authority to enact a recovery plan and re-imagine this historical press as the "pre-eminent publishing and printing organization in Africa”.