In 2026, MambaOnline.com celebrates a quarter of a century as South Africa’s leading and longest-running LGBTIQA+ community news platform — informing, empowering and amplifying queer voices in a media landscape that has often left them unheard.
From humble beginnings as a passion project by founder Luiz De Barros, the platform has grown into an influential, agenda-setting publication and a trusted voice for the community it serves.
“At a time when LGBTIQA+ people were largely invisible in the media, I wanted to create a media platform that celebrated who we are — putting our voices, views and experiences front and centre, unapologetically and authentically,” says De Barros, who was recently recognised with the Feather Awards’ prestigious Simon Nkoli Award.
Beyond delivering daily news on issues affecting LGBTIQA+ people in South Africa, the region and the continent, MambaOnline.com has played a vital role in documenting and preserving queer history and culture.
Over the past 25 years, the platform has produced groundbreaking journalism and cultural coverage — including in-depth interviews with icons such as Brenda Fassie (in the first interview in which she publicly came out as lesbian), former Constitutional Court Justice Edwin Cameron, internationally acclaimed queer artivist Zanele Muholi, and global drag legend RuPaul.
It has held those in power accountable on matters of equality and justice, while also capturing pivotal historical milestones — including South Africa’s landmark legalisation of same-sex marriage in 2006 and key hate speech victories in the Constitutional Court (the Jon Qwelane case) and the Equality Court (the Steve Hofmeyr case).
MambaOnline’s long-standing reporting on LGBTIQA+ hate crimes has also been recognised by governments, international human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch, and other media platforms, offering a queer-centred, humanising lens on incidents that are too often ignored or misrepresented in mainstream media.
Recent key stories have included court reporting from the ongoing Grindr Gang trial in Johannesburg, the shocking murder of queer teen Kwakhanya Mhlanganisi in Cape Town, and the appalling silence in the investigation of the February 2025 assassination, in broad daylight, of gay Imam Muhsin Hendricks.
“While covering the reality of discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes — which remain a lived reality today — has been central to our work,” says De Barros, “we’ve also celebrated the joy and successes of our community — from Pride events to spotlighting achievers in business, politics and the arts.”
Recent milestones signal the platform’s continued growth and evolution. These include:
“Serving as MambaOnline’s Managing Editor over the past year has been a powerful opportunity to build on the impact we make,” says Gwala. “We are further amplifying marginalised voices and ensuring LGBTIQA+ people have a seat at the table in all aspects of life and society.”
Like many independent media organisations navigating the big-tech era, MambaOnline faces significant challenges in remaining sustainable and ensuring it can continue its work for another 25 years.
As a niche, community-focused publication, it operates in an environment where it cannot compete with large commercial media platforms for advertising revenue, despite the critical role it plays.
To secure its future, MambaOnline is launching its “Write the Next 25” campaign, calling on readers, supporters and allies to contribute to the MambaOnline Foundation NPC through once-off or monthly donations.
“The past 25 years have required immense sacrifice to keep this platform alive,” says De Barros. “We’re appealing to everyone MambaOnline has touched — those who value the work we do and the visibility we create for LGBTIQA+ voices — to help sustain this legacy.”
Gwala adds: “If we cannot count on our community and allies for support, then who? This is a vital step in ensuring that MambaOnline’s doors remain open — and that queer media stays independent and queer-led.”
To donate and help write MambaOnline’s next 25 years, visit: https://www.mambaonline.com/donate-now/
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