by Herman Manson (@marklives) The Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa has released consumer-magazine circulation statistics for the period January-March 2016 (ABC Q1 2016); see our newspaper ABC analysis here. Apart from highlighting several figures that stand out for us, we’ve also updated our list of the biggest-circulating consumer titles in SA.
Note: we compare the current figures with the same figures for this time the year before, and not with the previous quarter. Green equals growth, red decline, purple maintained, new entrant or renamed, orange discontinued or resigned and pink no submission or suspended.
Key insights
Among consumer magazines, circulation has fallen to 5 154 329 from 5 720 107 in the previous corresponding reporting period (but up from 5 081 637 in the previous quarter). Single-copy sales stand at 3 329 935 (down from 3 247 608 in Q4 2015) and total paid (which includes subscription figures) stand at 4 011 107 (up from 3 939 098 in Q4 2015). Paid-for digital copy sales stand at 76 638 (down from 77 365 in Q4 2015).
Custom magazines have seen an overall circulation decline to 7 391 626 from 9 789 535 in the corresponding previous reporting period. Single-copy sales in this category stand at 84 272, and total paid for circulation at 1 814 263. B2B magazines fell to 1 092 481 from 1 219 148 in the previous corresponding reporting period.
The business press
Financial Mail has declined to 14 018 from 18 376 in the corresponding previous reporting period (total free: 0). Finweek is down to 11 345 from 12 139 (total free: 2 503).
Entrepreneur is down to 18 212 from 18 663. Forbes Africa has grown to 23 971 from 17 509 (total free: 13 037). Noseweek has declined to 15 203 from 17 847. Your Business Magazine has declined to 10 352 from 11 358 (total free: 2 261). BusinessBrief (listed by the ABC as a B2B publication but available on the newsstand) has declined to 22 942 from 23 625. Leadership (also B2B) has declined to 8 189 from 8 630 (total free: 8 052) meaning it has a paid-for circulation of only 137.
Farmer’s Weekly has grown to 15 441 from 14 526 but Landbouweekblad has fallen to 30 927 from 33 440. Plaastoe Magazine comes in at 21 383 — up from 18 024 (all free circulation). Veeplaas has fallen to 9 612 from 10 715.
Biggest-circulating business magazines in terms of paid-for (sales, bulk and subscriptions) circulation:
- BusinessBrief: 22 537
- Entrepreneur: 18 195
- Noseweek: 15 203
- Financial Mail: 14 018
- Personal Finance: 10 948
- Forbes Africa: 10 934 +2
- Finweek: 8 842 -1
- Your Business: 8 091 -1
Biggest-circulating business magazines in terms of total circulation:
- Forbes Africa: 23 971 +2
- BusinessBrief: 22 942 -1
- Entrepreneur: 18 212 -1
- Noseweek: 15 203 +1
- Financial Mail: 14 018 -1
- Personal Finance: 11 459
- Finweek: 11 345
- Your Business: 10 352
Entertainment & celeb news
People has continued its circulation decline by falling to 55 074 from 68 017. TV Plus (Afrikaans) is down to 35 384 from 36 956, while the English edition has grown slightly to 35 060 from 34 380.
Bona is down to 79 391 from 91 521 in the previous corresponding reporting period. Drum has fallen to 78 521 from 100 388, Huisgenoot to 230 766 from 252 334 and YOU to 125 346 from 138 693.
The Big Issue has come in at 14 725 (no submission previous corresponding reporting period). Taalgenoot is up to 69 023 from 66 259 (total free = only 231).
Home & gardening, leisure
Conde Nast House & Garden has declined to 36 410 from 41 745 (total free: 6 777). Easy DYI is up to 14 091 from 13 333. Food & Home Entertaining has fallen to 29 027 from 329 916 (total free: 4 265). House & Leisure has declined to 37 449 from 48 438 (total free: 4 098). Sarie Kos has fallen to 36 346 from 48 505.
Elle Decoration has fallen to 22 793 from 24 323 (total free: 5 813) and SA Home Owner is down to 43 854 from 47 159 (total free: 7 214). SA Garden and Home is down to 58 319 from 59 244 (total free: 4 490). Tuis Home has fallen to 78 931 from 89 499 (total free: 0) while VISI has grown to 15 499 from 15 038 (total free: 1 178). Woolworths TASTE is listed as a custom magazine — circulation has grown to 30 180 from 26 882 (single copy sales: 25 926). Fresh Living/Kook en Kuier has also grown to 177 350 from 60 010 (single copy sales: 30 515) after becoming available free to active PnP Smart Shoppers.
Men’s market
Braintainment has grown to 18 347, compared to 14 501 (total free: 1 638) in the previous corresponding reporting period. Destiny Man is down to 14 642 from 16 562 (total free: 4 886) — it has increased frequency in the interim from alternate monthly to monthly. Blaque Magazine falls to 9 761 from 15 563 after changing its frequency from monthly to quarterly.
GQ is down to 24 197 from 26 015 (total free: 7 794). Hype has grown to 14 482 from 13 616 (total free: 4 991).
Men’s Health has fallen to 39 894 from 47 327 and Popular Mechanics to 37 285 from 39 960. Stuff is up to 16 928 from 16 246 (total free: 3 705). Tjop & Dop comes in at 10 669 (total free: 2 365).
Health, fitness, sport
Amakhosi is down to 21 404 from 28 214 and Kick Off has fallen to 28 993 from 34 379. Golf Digest has grown to 9 414, up from 8 547, and Compleat Golfer is up to 9 100, from 9 092.
Magnum has fallen to 12 286 from 14 674 while Game & Hunt/Wild & Jag has grown to 13 586 from 12 411. SA Hunter has fallen to 43 330 from 44 450.
Zigzag is down to 8 197 from 9 559. Modern Athlete has jumped to 52 715 from 34 915 (total free: 51 939).
Hitting the road
CAR has grown to 77 175 from 70 977 (total free: 4 798) and Leisure Wheels to 19 044 from 17 141. TopGear has fallen to 16 632 from 22 132. Drive Out/WegRy has declined to 31 912 from 36 560 and Topcar to 15 211 from 18 801.
Auto Trader is down to 4 038 from 8 147. Bike SA is down to 16 448 from 18 268. SA 4×4 has fallen to 17 670 from 19 050. Speed and Sound is down to 33 200 from 35 097. Driven grows to 17 730 8 939 (total free: 17 730)
Getaway climbs to 42 420 from 36 186 (total free: 5 416) but Weg/Go falls to 59 205 from 66 564.
SA Country Life is down to 39 029 from 40 549 (total free: 3 707).
Woman’s general
Cosmopolitan has declined to 51 948 from 61 556 (total free: 8 988), Glamour to 50 879 from 58 863 (total free: 8 077) and Elle to 25 400 from 31 868 (total free: 3 873). Fair Lady has fallen to 43 196 from 49 697. Finesse is down to 46 472 from 55 329. Destiny Magazine is down to 26 560 from 28 570 (total free: 9 156).
Good Housekeeping/Goeie Huishouding has declined to 52 078 from 56 521 (total free: 7 483), Ideas/Idees has declined to 55 454 from 61 377 and Leef to 30 979 from 37 913. Move! has fallen to 102 127 from 121 494. True Love is down to 44 702 from 60 421 and Vroue Keur has dropped to 59 874 from 65 168, but Woman and Home has grown to 92 574 from 85 792 (total free jumps to 15 347).
Essentials is down to 30 299 from 34 183 while Fitness Magazine has grown to 22 368 from 21 120. Grazia is down to 16 211 from 21 672. Kuier has fallen to 101 994 from 105 305. Marie Claire has dropped to 32 753 from 33 885 (total free falls to 3 392). Rooi Rose is down slightly to 90 689 from 91 727. Sarie has fallen to 75 844 from 83 370. Your Family is down to 39 460 from 43 435. Women’s Health has declined to 56 132 from 68 265, and Longevity to 16 370 from 19 374 (total free: 5 732).
The MarkLives’ Big Magazine list*
- Huisgenoot: 230 766
- YOU: 125 346
- Move!: 102 127 +1
- Kuier: 101 994 -1
- Woman and Home: 92 574
- Rooi Rose: 90 689 +2
- Tuis/Home: 78 931 -1
- Drum: 78 521 -1
- Bona: 79 391 +1
- CAR: 77 175 new
Sarie: 75 844 falls out of Top 10
Taalgenoot: 69 023
*By total circulation. Must have a cover price. Annuals excluded. Movement on the Big Magazine list compared to 2015 Q4 data.
ABC Q1 2016 stories:
- ABC Analysis Q1 2016: The biggest-circulating newspapers in South Africa
- ABC Analysis Q1 2016: The biggest-circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
ABC Q4 2015 stories:
- ABC Analysis Q4 2015: The biggest-circulating newspapers in South Africa
- ABC Analysis Q4 2015: The biggest-circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
- ABC print round-up Q4 2015: Decline, inflation and innovation
ABC Q3 2015 stories:
- ABC Analysis Q3 2015: The biggest-circulating newspapers in South Africa
- ABC Analysis Q3 2015: The biggest-circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
ABC Q2 2015 stories:
- ABC Analysis Q2 2015: The biggest-circulating newspapers in South Africa
- ABC Analysis Q2 2015: The biggest-circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
- ABC Print Round-up Q2 2015 in one word: Decline
ABC Q1 2015 stories:
- ABC Analysis Q1 2015: The biggest-circulating newspapers in South Africa
- ABC Analysis Q1 2015: The biggest-circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
ABC Q4 2014 stories:
- ABC Analysis Q4 2014: The biggest-circulating newspapers in South Africa
- ABC Analysis Q4 2104: The biggest-circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
ABC Q3 2014 stories:
- ABC Analysis Q3 2104: The biggest-circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
- ABC Analysis Q3 2104: The biggest-circulating newspapers in South Africa
- ABC Magazine Round-up Q3 2014: Consumer mags revisit flawed circ counting
- ABC Newspaper Round-up Q3 2014: The Star is down 15.89%
ABC Q2 2014 stories:
- ABC Analysis Q2 2014: The biggest circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
- ABC Analysis Q2 2014: The biggest circulating newspapers in South Africa
- ABC Magazine Round-up Q2 2014: Even the good news is bad news
- ABC Newspaper Round-up Q2014: Depressing doesn’t even describe it
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Herman Manson (@marklives) is the founder and editor of MarkLives.com. He was the inaugural Vodacom Social Media Journalist of the Year in 2011 and has, over his 20-year-plus career, contributed to numerous journals and websites in South Africa and abroad, including AdVantage magazine, Men’s Health, Computer World and African Communications.
— MarkLives’ round-up of top ad and media industry news and opinion in your mailbox every Monday and Thursday days. Sign up here!