Jane Raphaely, the publisher who built Associated Media Publishing into South Africa’s home for Cosmopolitan and other major women’s titles, remains one of the country’s most cited voices on leadership, even after the company she led for nearly four decades closed in 2020.
A leadership style built on listening
Raphaely launched the English-language women’s magazine genre in South Africa almost single-handedly, publishing Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, O The Oprah Magazine and House and Leisure through Associated Media Publishing. Her own account of leadership centred on one habit: spending meetings listening rather than directing, then returning to her team with decisions shaped by what she’d heard.
What happened to Associated Media Publishing
Associated Media Publishing closed permanently in 2020 after 38 years, a casualty of the advertising collapse that hit print media during the Covid-19 pandemic. The closure ended an era for South African women’s publishing, but it did not erase Raphaely’s influence on how a generation of local editors and businesswomen think about leading teams.
The lessons that outlasted the company
Raphaely’s central argument, that women who want to lead have to be more ambitious and less afraid to fail than their male peers, still shapes how leadership programmes discuss gender and authority in South African business. Her insistence on shared decision-making, “so that the outcome, good or bad, is equally owned”, remains a practical model for founders building teams today. Gender representation in senior South African media leadership is now tracked formally by bodies such as the South African National Editors’ Forum, the kind of structured accountability that didn’t exist when Raphaely was building her own career.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Jane Raphaely?
A British-born South African publisher who founded Associated Media Publishing in 1982 and led it for 38 years, publishing titles including Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire.
Is Associated Media Publishing still operating?
No. The company closed permanently in 2020 after the Covid-19 pandemic collapsed print advertising revenue.
What was Jane Raphaely known for as a leader?
A listening-first leadership style, and outspoken advocacy for women needing to be more ambitious and confident to reach senior roles.
Which magazines did Associated Media Publishing own?
Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Marie Claire, O The Oprah Magazine and House and Leisure, among others.
What honours has Jane Raphaely received?
Business Woman of the Year, Media Innovator of the Year and Lifetime Achievement recognition from South African journalism awards.
Further reading
Originally published in September 2016. Updated September 2026 to record Associated Media Publishing’s closure in 2020, and to show how Jane Raphaely’s leadership approach outlasted the company itself.
