The site was recently created by Howzit MSN’s decision to separate its celebrity channel into a separate site, Zalebs. Since then, the site’s trademark blend of celebrity gossip, exclusive content and engaging photos and videos is turning it into the destination of choice for celebrity watchers in South Africa.

Zalebs is set to become the premier destination for the hottest celeb gossip, news, fashion and photos on the local web. The site focuses on the latest news about South Africa’s favourite celebrities, from models and soapie stars to actors, media personalities and sports idols.

Over the past few months, Kagiso has made a substantial investment into growing the brand and creating exclusive images, words and video for Zalebs. This has created a young, engaged and fast-growing audience for advertisers that are looking to invest in targeted and aspirational campaigns.

The site has created an interactive and engaging new style of reporting that allows fans to get up close and personal with their favourite 'ZA celebs'. Exclusive videos and celebrity blogs on the Zalebs website offer a unique experience for South Africans who want to connect with celebrities.

Zalebs’ socialite bloggers include model Rikki Brest and writer, fashion art director and model Sarah Masileila, who candidly share their lives, thoughts and ideas with Zalebs readers. The site also has exclusive content deals with some of South Africa’s leading video content producers, who are producing a range of celebrity news, gossip and video content for the site.

“Zalebs is a proven property that enjoyed so much growth as a channel on the Howzit MSN portal that it deserved to become a web destination in its own right,” says divisional head at Kagiso Digital, Attila Bernariusz. “It attracts a highly engaged audience with a keen interest in lifestyle and entertainment products.”

Bernariusz adds that the content on the Zalebs site has strong synergies with Kagiso’s broadcasting properties, which include East Coast Radio and Jacaranda FM. Zalebs feeds these radio stations with content and also has potential advertising synergies with them.

Says Bernariusz: “There is a real hunger for celebrity news in the South African market, with the site gaining a great deal of momentum in its first few months as an independent property. We are expecting it to show strong growth in readership numbers in the next few months."