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ABC Q4 2024: Magazines show resilience in 2024

20 Feb 2025

The ABC has released the final quarter's circulation for 2024, with Custom magazines leading the way for another good showing by the Magazine category.

The ABC Q4 2024 figures have been released. Image by Lesley Svenson, Bizcommunity

The Magazine category has shown excellent resilience this year, finding some good momentum from the first quarter of 2024 when it had a 7.6% growth.

Q2 2024 circulation for magazines also showed upward movement with quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year increases.

While Q3, as in Q2, was led by a good showing in the Consumer and B2B categories, Custom magazines have come to the fore in Q4.

However, in all quarters Free magazines have continued its drip-drip decline.

In Q4 the ABC introduced a new category in magazines, grassroots magazines.

Consumer magazines

The average total was a decrease of 4.5% on the previous quarter and an increase of 2.1% on the prior year.

Despite the decline on the previous quarter there were some highlights in the category.

The only publication in the conservation & Wildlife category, African Birdlife had good increases on the previous quarter and prior year.

The Farming category also had good increases for three of its four publications with Grond tot Mond with double-figure increases of almost 12% on the previous quarter.

The Home sector had five publications increase on the previous quarter and three on the prior year.

The biggest increase – and the only double-figure increase in the sector - was 12.8% on the previous quarter from Conde Nast Home & Garden.

The only double-figure decrease and the biggest decrease in this sector is Gardener / Tuiner with a decline of 29% on the previous quarter.

The Women’s General sector has four publications out of the nine showing an increase on the previous quarter.

Kuier was the best-performing publication on the previous quarter and Glamour had an increase of 48.7% on the prior year. It is the only publication to show an increase on the prior year.

Five of the publications saw a decrease, with a double figure decrease for Fair Lady.

There was no good news for the Family Interest category with three of the four publications showing decreases and one publication, Lig, having resigned.

The Leisure sector had a new member and the Male sector had two new members, Men’s Health and Women’s Health.

Arts, Culture and Heritage
Publication	Frequency	Free circulation	Total circulation	% change quarter	% change year
Jewish Life	Mtly	8,450	8,450	0.3%	0.0%
Val de Vie Magazine	2xA	0	No Issue
Business and News
BusinessBrief	AltM	1,712	31,586	0.0%	Changed Sector
Fast Company	Q	885	1,407		New Member
Financial Mail	Wkly, Th	2,845	18,030	-0.1%	21.1%
Forbes Africa	AltM	4,686	10,976	0.9%	3.9%
SA Real Estate Investor Magazine	Mtly	15,732	15,732	-2.6%	Changed Sector
The Big Issue Magazine	11xA	337	5,204	18.9%	-24.4%
Communications
The Little issue	Q	0			New Member
Conservation and Wildlife
African Birdlife	AltM	1,917	8,124	8.5%	6.2%
Family Interest
Huisgenoot	Wkly, Th	893	74,455	-2.1%	-13.4%
LIG	Q	0	Resigned
Plus 50	6xA	0	4,454	-0.9%	-5.5%
You	Wkly, Th	502	34,337	-3.6%	-20.4%
Farming
Farmer's Weekly	Wkly, Fr	462	5,533	1.4%	-5.0%
Grond tot Mond	Q	25,894	25,894	11.9%	-20.2%
Landbouweekblad	F	135	12,244	-7.9%	-15.2%
Marktoe	Mtly	13,325	13,325	0.2%	-3.6%
Health & Wellbeing
Grow to Eat	3xA	0		Changed Frequency
Home
Conde Nast House & Garden	6xA	4,722	10,569	12.8%	19.0%
Essential Flavours	Q	6,259	7,345	6.4%	New Member
Food&Home Magazine	Q	0	No Issue
Lose It	6xA	0	5,854	No Issue
SA Home Owner	11xA	3,884	14,788	4.1%	-7.8%
Sarie Kos / Food	Q	700	10,868	9.0%	-0.9%
The Gardener / Die Tuinier	Mtly	2,172	20,162	-29.0%	5.1%
Tuis Home	8xA	959	55,345	-2.2%	3.5%
Visi	6xA	231	9,568	0.6%	-2.1%
Leisure
YourLuxury Africa	Mtly	19,652	19,652	0.1%	New Member
Male
GQ	6xA	3,249	4,315	2.2%	43.7%
Men's Health	AltM	5,236	9,597	New Member
Women's Health	AltM	4,636	9,313	New Member
Motoring
Car	Mtly	6,205	26,120	-16.1%	-18.7%
Driven Magazine	Mtly	6,506	6,506	-2.4%	-1.4%
Parenting
Baba & Kleuter	Q	0	No Issue
Baby's and Beyond	Q	12,949	13,265	-0.1%	35.3%
Your Pregnancy and Baby	AltM	1,345	4,800	-9.5%	0.1%
Sport and Hobby
Compleat Golfer	Mtly	3,608	6,365	4.7%	-41.0%
SA Rugby	Mtly	1,077	2,747	-39.6%	-64.4%
Travel, Tourism & Hospitality
Cape Etc	3xA	4,850	7,213	-4.6%	No Issue
Getaway	Mtly	1,028	7,641	-25.4%	-36.1%
go! Drive & Camp and Weg! Ry & Sleep	AltM	0	19,695	-8.7%	-1.4%
Inbound SA	Mtly	9,926	9,926	0.0%	New Member
Weg / Go Platteland	Q	280	14,415	3.6%	-4.6%
Weg/Go	AltM	100	35,597	-9.0%	-7.4%
Woman's General
BONA Magazine	Mtly	2,980	10,419	1.8%	-21.6%
Fairlady	AltM	580	23,850	-11.7%	-9.0%
Garden & Home Magazine	Mtly	900	10,527	7.1%	-25.7%
Glamour	6xA	8,359	11,706	-4.7%	48.7%
Kuier	F	123	42,772	7.5%	-12.1%
Rooi Rose Magazine	Mtly	5,392	24,729	0.5%	-15.3%
Sarie	AltM	1,565	54,415	-3.9%	-3.7%
True Love	Q	1,850	10,389	-5.7%	-12.2%
Women & Home Magazine	Mtly	3,539	19,389	-0.7%	-12.5%
Woman's Special
Wedding Guide	Ann	0	Terminated
Total		202,637	809,613	-4.5%	2.1%

Image by Lesley Svenson, Bizcommunity. The ABC Q3 2024 figures have been released

ABC Q3 2024: Magazine momentum continues to build with some good performances

Danette Breitenbach 21 Nov 2024

B2B magazines

A 50:50 affair for B2B publications with a decrease of 2.6% overall for the category on the previous quarter and an increase of 11.7% for the category on the prior year.

The Management category saw seven of its 11 publications increase on the previous quarter with three publications showing massive increases due to changing sectors.

The Hospitality sector also had good prior year increases with half of its 14 publications posting positive figures on the prior year. However, the category did not have any publications with increases on the previous quarter.

Sectors with publications with increases include Civil Construction, Architecture, Engineering Other, Health & Wellbeing and Retail.

Retail continued its good run from Q3 while the Health & Wellbeing sector dropped from seven publications up on the previous quarter in Q3 to only three up on the previous quarter.

Agricultural
Publication	Frequency	Free circulation	Total circulation	% change quarter	% change year
OVK Nuus/News	4xA	4,775	4,775	0.0%	1.5%
SA Graan / Grain	Mtly	20,203	20,203	0.3%	-4.0%
Stockfarm	Mtly	0	Resigned
Veeplaas	Mtly	0	Resigned
Wineland	Mtly	3,100	3,151	-0.1%	-0.7%
Architecture
Floors in Africa	7xA	12,503	12,503	-2.3%	Changed Sector
Leading Architect & Design	6xA	5,205	5,234	0.5%	-8.2%
To Build	4xA	8,101	9,850	0.7%	0.6%
Walls & Roofs in Africa	7xA	12,503	12,503	-2.3%	Changed Sector
Automotive
SA Treads	Q	4,549	4,549	21.8%	Changed Sector
Civil Construction
Civil Engineering	Mtly	15,151	15,158	2.6%	Changed Sector
Construction World	Mtly	16,162	16,162	-5.2%	-6.9%
IMIESA	10xA	11,132	11,132	3.1%	-10.9%
Spec Handbooks	Ann	0			No Issue
Communications
Future SA	4xA	0			No Issue
Service	Q	4,963	4,963	0.0%	No Issue
Electrical Engineering
Electricity & Control	Mtly	9,678	9,678	-8.0%	-23.1%
ESI Africa	2xA	4,530	4,530	No Issue	-6.8%
Sparks Electrical News	Mtly	13,906	13,906	-6.3%	-8.0%
Engineering - Other
Capital Equipment News	Mtly	12,322	12,322	-8.6%	-10.8%
Dataweek	Mtly	2,969	2,969	6.0%	6.6%
Go2Energy Technical Journal	2xA	0	No Issue		Changed Sector
MechChem Africa	AltM	10,593	10,593	-4.9%	-2.3%
Motion Control	Q	1,674	1,674	-0.6%	-9.7%
Plumbing Africa	Mtly	12,208	12,237	0.4%	-7.1%
Refrigeration and Airconditioning	Mtly	7,117	7,124	0.3%	-11.1%
SA Instrumentation & Control	Mtly	3,810	3,810	-4.0%	-5.8%
Water & Sanitation Africa	6xA	7,872	7,872	-2.0%	No Issue
Health and Wellbeing
Fire Protection	Q	1,923	1,923	126.2%	Changed Sector
Medical Chronicle	11xA	33,436	33,436	3.3%	20.2%
MIMS	Mtly	0	Resigned
Modern Medicine Magazine	6xA	3,194	3,637	-14.7%	-9.4%
SMART Security Solutions	8xA	4,138	4,138	3.4%	6.5%
South African Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Review	11xA	2,788	2,790	-4.1%	-6.3%
The Specialist Forum Journal	11xA	28,728	28,728	-0.1%	21.7%
Hospitality, Catering and Tourism
Meetings	AltM	0	Resigned
Industry
Analytical Reporter	6xA	1,891	1,891	-61.4%	-62.5%
Cold Link Africa	8xA	3,958	3,961	-2.5%	9.5%
Free State Business	Ann	0	No Issue	No Issue
Gauteng Companies	Ann	4,965	4,965	No Issue	No Issue
Lighting in Design	Q	0	Ceased Publishing
Limpopo Business	Ann	4,961	4,961	No Issue	0.4%
Mpumalanga Business	Ann	4,963	4,963	No Issue	0.2%
North West Business	Ann	4,967	4,967	No Issue	No Issue
Opportunity (Exploring Business Prospects in SA	Q	4,960	4,960	0.0%	0.5%
South African Business	2xA	7,468	7,468	No Issue	0.5%
South African Food Review	11xA	3,266	3,275	-1.9%	-14.5%
The Journal of African Business	Q	4,965	4,965	0.0%	0.3%
Western Cape Business	Ann	4,958	4,958	No Issue	0.4%
Information and Computer Technology
Brainstorm	11xA	3,974	8,184	-0.7%	-0.8%
Management
African Decisions	Q	0	No Submission
Black Business Quarterly	Q	33,073	33,171	6.5%	-6.9%
Blue Chip	Q	8,450	8,450	13.3%	13.5%
ESG - Future of Sustainabilty	Ann	2,901	2,901	202.2%	Changed Sector
FA News	AltM	2,721	2,862	-0.9%	-1.7%
Leadership	Mtly	34,545	34,761	6.3%	-5.2%
Money Marketing	Mtly	5,840	5,840	-1.0%	-12.3%
Public Sector Leaders	Mtly	12,610	12,610	645.7%	Changed Sector
South African Business Intergrator	Q	9,814	9,856	0.2%	1.4%
Top 500 : South Africa's Best Managed Companies	Ann	7,544	7,544	1494.9%	Changed Sector
Top Women Leaders	Ann	10,671	10,671	No Issue	Changed Sector
Mining & Quarrying
African Mining Inc. Mining Mirror	Mtly	23,509	23,556	-4.8%	-16.1%
Earthbroker	Mtly	5,382	5,382	0.0%	0.0%
Engineering News & Mining Weekly	Wkly, Fr	15,277	17,587	3.2%	19.3%
Mining Review Africa	6xA	4,579	4,579	-4.4%	-4.9%
Modern Mining	Mtly	9,720	9,720	-5.9%	-33.1%
Modern Quarrying	Q	7,015	7,015	-3.4%	-0.4%
Retail
DIY And Industrial Trade News	Mtly	7,742	7,742	-10.4%	-13.5%
Pharmacy Magazine (former Frontshop	11xA	19,926	19,926	2.0%	7.1%
Supermarket & Retailer	Mtly	20,718	20,718	11.8%	Changed Sector
Transport and Logistics
Freight News Features	Mtly	5,003	5,169	1.9%	-15.2%
Total		581,569	591,128	-2.6%	11.7%

Custom magazines

This category continued its good performance in Q3 in this quarter.

The category stands out this quarter with some good increases on the previous quarter and the prior year, which shows in its average total figures of a 7% increase on the previous quarter and a 20% increase on the prior year.

Nearly all sectors had some good news, with the Home, Male, Women’s General and Youth sectors all showing increases on the previous quarter and the prior year.

Retail and Sport and Hobby also had good increases.

Stand-out increases on the previous quarter include Kids Super Club, SportsClub, SoccerClub, Jet Club, Man and My Kitchen.

Farming
Publication	Frequency	Free circulation	Total circulation	% change quarter	% change year
Dairy Mail, The	Mtly	0	No Submission
Wolboer / Wool Farmer	AltM	0	No Submission		Changed Sector
Health & Wellbeing
SA Pharmaceutical Journal	10xA	6,642	6,642	4.1%	-2.3%
South African Medical Journal	Mtly	11,604	11,604	-3.5%	30.9%
Home
Living Space	Mtly	2,359	40,257	6.4%	9.1%
My Kitchen	Mtly	3,895	101,343	14.9%	18.8%
Industry Specific
J S E	Q	12,992	14,742	0.1%	2.0%
Sea Rescue	3xA	18,000	18,000	-8.1%	17.3%
Servamus	Mtly	64	5,819	-4.4%	-15.7%
The Journal of the SAIMM	Mtly	2,139	2,139	3.5%	Changed Sector
In-flight
In Flight Magazine	Mtly	51,182	51,182	-7.3%	22.9%
Leisure
Private Edition	4xA	9,965	9,965	-0.2%	6.2%
Taste	6xA	0	Discontinued
Male
Man	Mtly	3,433	76,656	12.1%	20.2%
Tech	Mtly	0	16,372	-34.6%	-43.3%
Professional
Accountancy SA	Mtly	66,287	66,287	-1.5%	Changed Sector
De Rebus	11xA	41,718	59,286	-0.7%	Changed Sector
Retail
Club Magazine	Mtly	6,978	256,256	8.7%	6.3%
Jet Club	7xA	8,505	275,430	13.8%	-1.5%
Sport and Hobby
Game & Hunt/Wild & Jag	Mtly	65,160	66,020	-1.1%	-2.9%
SoccerClub	Mtly	4,330	60,685	16.6%	11.9%
SportsClub	Mtly	2,961	107,159	11.5%	4.2%
Wildland Magazine	Mtly	86,693	86,693	1.4%	Changed Sector
Travel, Tourism & Hospitality
Premier	Mtly	7,834	7,834	1.7%	-6.8%
Rove SA	Q	12,038	12,421	-4.0%	27.0%
Woman's General
Balanced Life	Mtly	3,506	50,650	9.8%	13.7%
Youth
ClubX	Mtly	6,166	116,102	8.9%	10.8%
Kids Super Club	Mtly	3,105	84,949	12.8%	22.7%
Total		437,556	1,604,493	6.8%	20.0%

Free magazines

There was not much change in this category, but with a very small increase of 0.1% on the previous quarter there was a glimmer of hope.

Q4 saw three publications with increases on the previous quarter, up on the only one in Q3.

The news for Q4 on the prior year was less hopeful with a decrease of over six percent on the prior year.

Four publications, Get It (Jo'burg West), Get It (Jo'burg South), Get It (Pretoria) and Get It (Northern Suburbs Joburg) have decreased on the prior year from 19% to over 20%.

Publication	Frequency	Total circulation	% change quarter	% change year
Botswana Advertiser	F	99,965	0.0%	0.0%
Get It (Ballito to Umhlanga	Mtly	11,978	0.1%	-2.6%
Get It (Bloemfontein	Mtly	6,890	0.0%	0.0%
Get It (Highway	Mtly	11,866	0.2%	-0.1%
Get It (Jo'burg South	Mtly	11,700	-0.1%	-20.7%
Get It (Jo'burg West	Mtly	11,052	1.5%	-19.9%
Get It (Lowveld	Mtly	6,400	0.0%	3.2%
Get It (Northern Suburbs Joburg	Mtly	11,800	-0.3%	-20.2%
Get It (Pretoria	Mtly	11,646	-0.2%	-20.5%
Total		183,297	0.1%	-6.1%

Grassroots

This is the first time this category has been included and so there is no data for comparison.

Publication	Publisher	Frequency	Total circulation
Al-Qalam KZN Issue	Al-Qalam	Mtly	10,000
Al-Qalam National Issue	Al-Qalam	Mtly	28,000
BT News	BTNEWS	Mtly	5,000
Dizindaba Iphephandaba lesiXhosa	Dizindaba Media	Wkly, Th	0
DURBAN NORTH NEWS	Tabloid Media	Wkly, Wed	32,000
KATHU GAZETTE	Sapphire Dawn Trading 24CC	Wkly, Th	5,000
LADYSMITH HERALD	Tabloid Media	Wkly, Tue	32,000
Pondoland Times	Quan Dambuza	Wkly, Fr	5,000
NEWCASTLE EXPRESS	Tabloid Media	Wkly, Tue	32,000
Platinum Bushvelder	Platinum Weekly	Wkly, Th	25,000
Platinum Weekly	Platinum Weekly	Wkly, Th	25,000
PINETOWN AND HAMMARSDALE IZINDABA	Tabloid Media	Wkly, Th	32,000
Witzenberg Herald	Witzenberg Herald	Mtly	3,000
Total			239,000