A South African newspaper on Sunday became the first on the continent to provide readers with access to information via cellphones with Internet connectivity.

The Sunday Times invited readers to take a picture of a barcode on the front page using the camera on their cellphones, which gives them automatic access to a Web site of the Springbok rugby team's chief sponsors.

However, while the technology is initially being used as a marketing tool, the publishers of The Sunday Times and its sister paper The Times indicated the potential to revolutionise its use so that readers can bring themselves up-to-date.

“This technology makes cell phones become an extension of print media,” said Colin Daniels, head of the new media development at the newspaper group.

The barcode technology has been in widespread use in Japan since invented in the 1990s. According to Daniels, however, it is the first time that it is used in Africa.

“In Africa, this is major. They all have cell phones, but they are not online yet. This could help in bridging the divide between print and new media as well as the technological and social divide," Daniels added.

Daniels's opinion is echoed by Johncom Media, the publishers of The Sunday Times. The group sees it as an opportunity for advertisers to touch base with consumers who have certified spending power.

“There are 30 million cell phone users in South Africa and 83 million in Africa,” said Gisele Wertheim Aymes, innovation manager at Johncom Mediam according to a Sunday Times article. “TimesCode enables marketers to tap the growing consumer power of mobile users to communicate in a simple yet highly impactful manner.”

Though in Internet journalism is still in its infancy on the continent, Daniels believes the technology will enable readers to access a range of services offered by newspaper online editions, including videos and blogs.

The Sunday Times had just set up its first multi-media newsroom, comprised of editorial teams including one multi-media journalist, two editors and a photographer.

“People are not used to it, they want to work as individuals,” The Times' deputy editor Moses Mudzwiti said. But even if the demand is limited so far, he predicted “it's tomorrow's audience. We'll be there already."