Cool Story Bru is a Cape Town–based digital media brand that tells distinctly South African stories for a social‑first audience. Through short‑form videos published across TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, it blends history, everyday news and human‑interest narratives into fast, approachable explainers. The outlet explores everything from the unsolved 1977 Krugersdorp bank heist and abandoned towns such as Diepgezet, to consumer guides that compare grocery prices and election explainers that unpack coalition politics. It also champions people‑powered stories: posts have profiled a 750 km awareness walk for men’s mental health and amplified a rural Limpopo duo whose homemade education app prompted viewers to donate more than R160,000 within days. In 2023, Cool Story Bru extended into long‑form audio with a conversational podcast, hosting guests such as shark researcher Craig Ferreira and author Michael Tellinger. Its following has grown into the hundreds of thousands, including roughly 547,000 on TikTok and about 274,000 on Instagram by 2025. The brand’s tone is proudly local, wry and optimistic, with an emphasis on practical context and calls to action. By packaging research, oral history and everyday heroics into tight, shareable clips, Cool Story Bru functions as a nimble, audience‑driven newsroom for South African culture, past and present.

Source: Code for Africa

Last updated date: September 2026

Location:
Cape Town, South Africa
Year the organization
started publishing:
2023
Languages:
English
Type of coverage:
National

Content

Editorial coverage:
Generalist, focused on multiple topics
Journalism genres:
Interviews and reporting
Narrative journalism
Journalism coverage types and techniques:
Engaged, community-driven or participatory journalism
Explanatory journalism
Tech platforms and other mediums used:
Social media platforms
Podcast
YouTube
Instagram

Management and team

Founders

Female:
0
Male:
1
Founders:
Austin Macaskill
Directors:

Team

Full-time employees:
0
Part-time employees:
0
Freelancers or consultants:
0
Volunteers:
0

Business structure and revenue sources

Organization tax status:
Not yet incorporated / registered

Why is this profile included?

This media outlet is part of our directory because it meets SembraMedia’s inclusion criteria: it produces original content, serves the public interest, and works with independence and transparency. This profile was developed using information provided directly by the media outlet, through surveys or interviews. We aim to keep the information current, but SembraMedia does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness, and recommends verifying any key details with the media organization.

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