Independent Newspapers, the publisher of The Cape Times, The Star, Isolezwe and The Mercury, has retrenched 128 employees to cut its wage bill.
The newspaper group, an indirect subsidiary of Iqbal Survé's Sekunjalo group, warned of the "harsh reality of job reductions" in June amid falling advertising and dwindling circulation figures.
The last day at work for the employees was 31 October. Of the 128, 44 took voluntary severance packages, while 84 received notices saying they would not be reappointed after they were asked to reapply for their jobs.