Abstract
The digital era poses numerous challenges to the planning and compilation of reference works, including dictionaries. Lexicographers need to respond to these challenges in a way that negotiates the needs and reference skills of their potential target users. This paper focuses on the South African lexicographic environment as an emerging e-society where the lexicographic needs but also the reference skills of a new generation of potential dictionary users need to be taken into consideration. Suggestions are made as to how new lexicographic products could assist the potential target users and how a more comprehensive dictionary culture can be established. An emphasis is placed on suggestions that smartphones should be seen as a preferred device for digital reference sources.
