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Magazines News South Africa

Magazines: ABC Q1 2024: Notable growth

The Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa (ABC) circulation figures for Q1 2024 for magazines have been released, with a notable 7.6% growth in this period.
Source: © TV with Thinus  The Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa (ABC) has released the Q1 for magazines
Source: © TV with Thinus TV with Thinus The Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa (ABC) has released the Q1 for magazines

It's important to highlight that the inclusion of digital-only publications in these figures is a significant factor contributing to the observed trends in overall circulation.

However, this growth in the magazine sector comes when the overall first quarter of 2024 circulation figures indicate a 7.5% year-on-year decline, with newspapers declining in this quarter.

This decline underscores the ongoing economic challenges and shifts in consumer behaviours impacting the media industry.

Consumer magazines

A better performance from this category. The Travel, Tourism & Hospitality sector had four of its five publications increase on the previous quarter.

In a reversal from Q4 2023, Glamour is the star performer in the Women’s General sector. In the Male sector, GQ also showed a good increase on the previous quarter.

The Home sector also saw some good increases, with four members increasing on the previous quarter.

Bruidsgids is a new member in the Women’s Special sector.

Arts, Culture and Heritage
PublicationFrequencyFree circulationTotal circulation% change quarter% change year
Jewish LifeMtly8,4508,4500.0%-2.1%
Business and News
BusinessBriefAltM0No Issue
Financial MailWkly, Fr1,25415,4473.7%11.2%
Forbes AfricaAltM4,83111,3297.2%15.5%
SA Real Estate Investor MagazineMtly16,41516,415Changed Sector
The Big Issue MagazineMtly124,936-28.3%-11.9%
Conservation and Wildlife
African BirdlifeAltM1,6537,538-1.5%No Submission
Family Interest
HuisgenootWkly, Th2,42286,9311.1%-14.5%
LIG11xA012,6170.1%-13.5%
Plus 506xA6155,74521.9%7.7%
The Crest7xA0Discontinued
The Ridge8xA0Discontinued
YouWkly, Th1,65142,823-0.7%-17.1%
Farming
Farmer's WeeklyWkly, Fr3085,064-13.1%-20.1%
Grond tot MondQ32,48232,4820.0%6.8%
LandbouweekbladWkly, Th25914,243-1.4%21.1%
MarktoeMtly14,00314,0031.3%-12.1%
Health & Wellbeing
Grow to Eat3xA0No Issue
Home
Conde Nast House & GardenMtly0No Issue
Essential Flavours4xA6,0696,936New Member
Food&Home MagazineQ3,50614,3651.7%7.4%
Lose ItQ1208,813No Issue21.7%
SA Home Owner11xA5,30916,6533.8%-15.4%
Sarie Kos / FoodQ2010,203-6.9%-19.9%
The Gardener / Die TuinierMtly3,65723,60923.0%-11.4%
Tuis Home8xA1,92160,29912.7%-3.2%
Visi6xA7159,622-1.5%-20.5%
Leisure
Life & Style4xA0Resigned
Male
GQ5xA2,3853,63421.0%-33.1%
Men's Health6xA0Terminated
Motoring
CarMtly8,44332,1450.0%-20.7%
Driven MagazineMtly6,6376,6370.6%-13.2%
Parenting
Baba & KleuterQ5699,782No Issue6.9%
Baby's and BeyondQ7,4119,770-0.4%-0.8%
Your Pregnancy and BabyAltM1,9655,2068.5%-8.1%
Sport and Hobby
Compleat GolferMtly4,1597,556-29.9%-17.4%
SA RugbyMtly2,7665,558-27.9%-41.4%
Travel, Tourism & Hospitality
Cape Etc3xA4,8107,536No Issue3.1%
GetawayMtly2,74012,1101.3%-10.3%
go! Drive & Camp and Weg! Ry & SleepAltM6322,10910.7%-12.4%
Weg / Go PlattelandQ73715,5342.8%-4.5%
Weg/GoAltM1,41542,58910.8%5.6%
Woman's General
BONA MagazineMtly2,16613,3240.3%-16.8%
FairladyAltM22025,707-1.9%-11.2%
Garden & Home MagazineMtly3,96113,247-6.5%-12.4%
GlamourQ7,52312,68861.2%-10.6%
KuierF17043,938-9.7%-14.2%
Rooi Rose MagazineMtly7,54829,2080.0%-1.0%
SarieAltM2,68455,513-1.8%0.9%
True LoveAltM33711,186-5.5%3.5%
Women & Home MagazineMtly4,86522,3120.7%-23.3%
Women's Health6xA0Terminated
Woman's Special
BruidsgidsAnn0New Member

B2B magazines

Except for the Agricultural sector, which has three of its five publications showing increases on the previous quarter, the B2B category only had sprinkles of increases, most of which were incremental.

Stockfarm and Veeplaas are standouts in the Agricultural sector and in the B2B category as a whole. MIMS in the Health and Wellbeing sector had big gains.

Agricultural
PublicationFrequencyFree circulationTotal circulation% change quarter% change year
OVK Nuus/News4xA4,7754,7751.5%0.4%
SA Graan / GrainMtly19,98519,985-5.0%-4.5%
StockfarmMtly7,62111,49521.3%63.4%
VeeplaasMtly7,98112,07739.3%58.0%
WinelandMtly3,1053,165-0.3%-1.0%
Architecture
Floors in Africa7xA13,77413,774Changed Sector
Leading Architect & DesignAltM5,0525,100-10.6%-24.6%
SA Building ReviewAnn8,6169,437No Issue0.3%
To Build4xA8,7899,8200.3%0.7%
Walls & roofs in Africa7xA13,77413,774Changed Sector
Automotive
SA TreadsQ5,2665,266Changed Sector
Civil Construction
Civil EngineeringMtly12,84912,849Changed Sector
Construction WorldMtly16,94116,941-2.4%2.6%
IMIESA11xA10,72710,727-14.2%-15.1%
Communications
SA ProfileAnn8,7269,838No Issue0.7%
ServiceQ4,9704,970No Issue0.2%
Electrical Engineering
Electricity & ControlMtly10,57110,571-16.0%-21.3%
ESI AfricaQ0No Issue
Sparks Electrical NewsMtly14,92114,921-1.3%5.4%
Engineering - Other
Capital Equipment NewsMtly13,67913,679-1.0%6.7%
DataweekMtly2,8552,8552.5%2.0%
MechChem AfricaAltM10,79510,795-0.5%5.7%
Motion ControlQ1,7131,713-7.6%-18.9%
Plumbing AfricaMtly10,91110,955-16.9%-2.2%
Refrigeration and AirconditioningMtly6,1766,183-22.8%-11.0%
SA Instrumentation & ControlMtly4,0334,033-0.3%-8.6%
Water & Sanitation AfricaAltM8,6798,679No Issue8.6%
Health and Wellbeing
Fire ProtectionQ0281Changed Sector
Hi-Tech Security Solutions8xA3,9383,9381.3%-7.9%
Medical Chronicle11xA25,04925,049-10.0%-8.9%
MIMSMtly4133,387126.6%-8.7%
Modern Medicine MagazineAltM3,2493,713-7.5%-2.6%
South African Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Review11xA2,6212,625-11.9%-10.2%
The Specialist Forum Journal11xA19,26019,260-18.4%65.4%
Hospitality, Catering and Tourism
MeetingsAltM0Resigned
Industry
Analytical ReporterAltM4,2094,209-16.6%-23.8%
Cold Link AfricaAltM2,6232,624-27.4%-36.0%
Free State BusinessAnn0No Issue
Lighting in DesignQ7,8097,809-0.2%5.5%
Limpopo BusinessAnn0No Issue
Mpumalanga BusinessAnn0No Issue
Opportunity (Exploring Business Prospects in SAQ4,9494,9490.3%0.4%
ResourceQ0Changed Publisher
South African Business2xA0No Issue
South African Food Review11xA3,3973,416-10.8%-8.9%
The Journal of African BusinessQ0No Issue
Western Cape BusinessAnn0No Issue
Information and Computer Technology
Brainstorm11xA3,5707,598-7.9%-17.7%
Management
African DecisionsQ10,92912,9581.1%10.1%
Black Business QuarterlyQ33,15633,307-6.5%-25.4%
Blue ChipQ7,4587,4580.1%No Issue
Business Day EarthAnn0No Issue
Business Day EmpowermentAnn0No Issue
FA NewsAltM2,7032,859-1.8%48.7%
LeadershipMtly33,70933,872-7.6%-20.1%
Money MarketingMtly5,8745,874-11.8%-23.5%
Public Sector Leaders11xA9,1399,139Changed Sector
South African Business Intergrator2xA8,7629,8181.0%-0.7%
Top Women Leader11xA11,80911,809Changed Sector
Mining & Quarrying
African Mines HandbookAnn0No Issue
African Mining Inc. Mining Mirror11xA20,70020,749-26.1%-1.2%
EarthbrokerMtly5,3825,3820.0%0.0%
Engineering News & Mining WeeklyWkly, Fr11,71214,316-2.9%12.7%
Inside MiningQ0Discontinued
Mining Review Africa11xA4,7884,788-0.6%No Issue
Modern MiningMtly10,69610,696-26.4%-23.5%
Modern QuarryingQ7,1927,1922.1%5.7%
Retail
DIY And Industrial Trade NewsMtly6,7346,734-24.8%-33.4%
Pharmacy Magazine (former FrontshopMtly15,80315,803-15.0%-5.5%
Supermarket & RetailerMtly17,32717,327Changed Sector
Transport and Logistics
Freight News FeaturesMtly5,6135,810-4.7%-2.4%

Custom magazines

Only one sector had increases and no decreases on the previous quarters, and that was the Youth sector. In the Male sector, Man continued its good run from Q4 2023. Under Industry-specific, Sea Rescue had a double figure increase on the previous quarter.

Sectors that showed only decreases on the previous quarter include Health & Wellbeing, In-flight, Leisure, Retail, Sport & Hobby and Women’s General. Professional had a changed sector and no result.

Farming
PublicationFrequencyFree circulationTotal circulation% change quarter% change year
Dairy Mail, TheMtly1,3771,3770.3%13.7%
Wolboer / Wool FarmerAltM1,4701,470Changed Sector
Health & Wellbeing
SA Pharmaceutical Journal10xA0No Issue
South African Medical JournalMtly8,2378,404-5.2%-4.7%
Home
Living SpaceMtly20834,574-6.3%-10.3%
My KitchenMtly40087,8513.0%14.1%
Industry Specific
J S EQ13,53014,8722.9%2.8%
Sea Rescue3xA20,40220,40233.0%No Issue
ServamusMtly516,594-4.5%-13.3%
The Journal of the SAIMMMtly2,0542,054Changed Sector
In-flight
In Flight MagazineMtly38,65538,655-7.2%10.9%
Leisure
Private EditionQ0No Issue
TasteAltM4,21632,884-4.7%-4.3%
Male
ManMtly50064,7021.5%8.2%
TechMtly20027,777-3.8%-17.3%
Professional
Accountancy SAMtly57,61157,611Changed Sector
De Rebus11xA42,14859,710
Retail
Club MagazineMtly7,000232,326-3.6%-11.4%
Jet Club7xA1,502263,276-5.8%0.2%
Sport and Hobby
Game & Hunt/Wild & JagMtly65,50766,683-2.0%-2.6%
SoccerClubMtly63350,989-5.9%1.3%
SportsClubMtly66699,426-3.4%-3.9%
Wildland MagazineMtly6,78981,664Changed Sector
Travel, Tourism & Hospitality
PremierMtly7,7467,746-7.8%-9.0%
Rove SA4xA8,41810,1543.8%4.6%
Woman's General
Balanced LifeMtly30044,215-0.7%-11.5%
Youth
ClubXMtly433108,0173.1%-1.0%
Kids Super ClubMtly49069,3410.1%-5.7%

Free magazines

In Q3 and Q4 2023 this category had good results, but while results were not bad this quarter, only three of the nine publications had increases on the previous quarter.

PublicationFrequencyTotal circulation% change quarter% change year
Botswana AdvertiserF99,9650.0%0.0%
Get It (Ballito to UmhlangaMtly12,237-0.5%2.3%
Get It (BloemfonteinMtly6,223-9.7%-9.7%
Get It (HighwayMtly11,841-0.3%0.5%
Get It (Jo'burg SouthMtly14,7500.0%0.0%
Get It (Jo'burg WestMtly13,8320.2%-4.6%
Get It (LowveldMtly6,4003.2%3.2%
Get It (Northern Suburbs JoburgMtly14,8070.2%0.0%
Get It (PretoriaMtly14,489-1.1%-1.3%

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