by Herman Manson (@marklives) The Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa has released consumer-magazine circulation statistics for the period October–December 2016 (ABC Q4 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 declined; purple maintained, new entrant or renamed; orange discontinued or resigned; pink no submission or suspended; and brown minimal newsstand sales.
Key insights
Overall, circulation fell to 4 443 681 from 5 079 834 in the previous corresponding reporting period (and from 4 557 748 in the previous quarter). Single-copy sales stood at 2 758 129 (down from 3 247 608 in Q4 2015) and total paid (which includes subscription figures) stood at 3 360 806 (down from 3 939 098 in Q4 2015). Paid-for digital copy sales were at 57 301 (down from 130 912 in Q3 2016 after Student Brands failed to make a submission).
Custom magazines saw an overall circulation decline to 7 031 102 from 7 266 175 in the corresponding previous reporting period. Single copy sales in this category stood at 35 832, and total paid for circulation at 1 652 569.
The business press
Finweek is up to 11 977 from 11 363 (total free copies = 3 287). Financial Mail has declined to 12 162 from 15 292 in the corresponding previous reporting period.
Entrepreneur has inched up to 17 856 from 17 760. Forbes Africa has grown to 20 707 from 17 536 (total free = 10 730). Your Business Magazine has grown slightly to 10 565 from 10 352. Noseweek has declined to 12 924 from 15 170. Personal Finance has fallen to 9 532 from 11 459.
Farmer’s Weekly is down to 11 836 from 12 705 and Landbouweekblad has fallen to 26 098 from 31 221. Plaastoe made no submission. Marktoe! came in at 8 716 [corrected 2017/02/09]. Veeplaas has fallen to 7 787 from 9 573.
Biggest-circulating business magazines in terms of paid-for (sales, bulk and subscriptions) circulation:
- Entrepreneur: 17 841
- Noseweek: 12 924 +1
- Financial Mail: 12 162 -1
- Forbes Africa: 9 977 +1
- Personal Finance: 9 447 -1
- Finweek: 8 690
- Your Business: 8 019
Biggest-circulating business magazines in terms of total circulation:
- Forbes Africa: 20 707
- Entrepreneur: 17 856
- Noseweek: 12 924 +1
- Financial Mail: 12 162 -1
- Finweek: 11 977
- Your Business: 10 565 +1
- Personal Finance: 9 532 -1
Position movement relative to Q3 2016.
Entertainment & celeb news
People has continued its circulation decline by falling to 42 708 from 52 672. TV Plus (Afrikaans) is down to 29 520 from 33 537; the English edition has fallen to 24 545 from 34 607.
Bona is down to 57 828 from 74 866 in the previous corresponding reporting period. Drum has collapsed to 53 207 from 80 807, Huisgenoot has dropped to 207 661 from 237 938, and YOU has fallen to 110 554 from 131 774.
The Big Issue has fallen to 12 523 from 14 163. Taalgenoot is down to 68 427 from 69 023.
Home & gardening, leisure
Condé Nast House & Garden has declined to 33 265 from 36 425 (total free up to 7 543). Easy DYI is down to 12 598 from 14 091 (total free = 4 342). Food & Home Entertaining has fallen to 23 782 from 27 186 (total free: 3 016). House & Leisure has declined to 23 127 steeply from 33 689 (total free: 4 010). Sarie Kos has fallen to 26 691 from 36 346.
Elle Decoration has fallen to 20 858 from 22 793 (total free: 5 991) and SA Home Owner is down to 37 292 from 39 182 (total free: 8 520). SA Garden and Home is down to 52 098 from 56 509 (total free: 3 359). Tuis Home has fallen to 78 4325 from 83 645 (total free: 0) and VISI is down to 14 820 from 15 499 (total free: 408). Woolworths TASTE is listed as a custom magazine — circulation has climbed slightly to 27 376 from 27 240 (single copy sales: 22 336). Fresh Living/Kook en Kuier showed zero single copy sales (total circulation: 468 202); it is now free to active PnP Smart Shoppers.
Men’s market
Destiny Man is up to 14 775 from 13 550 (total free: 4 048). Very Interesting has declined to 17 959, compared to 18 347 (total free: 5 227) in the previous corresponding reporting period.
GQ is down to 21 084 from 24 848 (total free: 6 843). Hype has been discontinued.
Men’s Health has fallen to 32 088 from 38 637 and Popular Mechanics to 30 670 from 32 014. Stuff is down to 14 427 from 16 928 (total free: 4 228). Tjop & Dop and Blaque Magazine failed to submit circulation data.
Health, fitness, sport
Compleat Golfer is up to 9 594, from 8 337 (total free = 5 852). Amakhosi has fallen to 14 735 from 18 532 and Kick Off is down to 23 795 from 28 566. Golf Digest has fallen to 7 826, down from 8 068. Zigzag has been suspended.
Magnum has fallen to 11 020 from 13 268 while Game & Hunt/Wild & Jag is down to 9 089 from 9 857. SA Hunter has fallen to 42 592 from 44 339.
Hitting the road
CAR has seen a bump to 65 228 from 64 632 but Leisure Wheels has fallen to 14 753 from 15 198. Drive Out/WegRy has declined to 21 512 from 26 755. TopGear and TopCar have both been closed down.
Bike SA is down to 12 533 from 15 93915 939. SA 4×4 has fallen to 13 882 from 16 541. Speed and Sound is down to 27 041 from 31 541.
Getaway is down to 37 836 from 41 465 (total free: 7 537) and Weg!/Go! has fallen to 55 072 from 59 719. SA Country Life has declined to 34 884 from 37 075 (total free: 2 048).
Woman’s general
Destiny Magazine is up to 27 105 from 26 163 (total free: 4 954). Cosmopolitan has declined to 40 978 from 54 189 (total free jumps to 8 465) and Glamour to 44 379 from 51 410 (total free: 7 946). Elle has fallen to 26 925 from 30 002 (total free: 7 392). Fair Lady is down to 34 571 from 41 360.
Good Housekeeping/Goeie Huishouding has declined to 45 340 from 54 282 (total free: 7 150), Ideas/Idees has declined to 43 814 from 56 088. Leef has been listed as discontinued (see Ideas/Idees and Lééf transfer to former editors). Move! has collapsed to 79 237 from 104 152. True Love is down to 42 373 from46 827 and Vroue Keur has dropped to 55 298 from 59 345. Woman and Home is down to 84 993 from 93 165 (total free: 5 649).
Essentials is down to 24 649 from 28 022. Grazia has been discontinued. Kuier has fallen to 99 684 from 108 428. Marie Claire has dropped to 20 933 from 32 598 (total free = 3 256). Rooi Rose is down to 73 446 from 79 676 (total free: 6 352). Sarie has fallen to 68 305 from 79 632. Your Family is down to 35 277 from 42 880. Women’s Health has declined to 34 937 from 42 694, and Longevity to 15 434 from 16 370. Finesse has changed frequency to 9 x annually and fell to 43 429 from 47 414.
The MarkLives’ Big Magazine list*
- Huisgenoot: 207 661
- YOU: 110 554
- Kuier: 99 684
- Woman and Home: 84 993 +1
- Move!: 79 237 -1
- Tuis/Home: 78 432
- Rooi Rose: 73 446 +2
- Taalgenoot: 68 427 -1
- Sarie: 68 305 +1
- CAR: 65 228 re-entry
Bona: 57 828
Weg/Go: 55 072 falls out of Top 10
*By total circulation. Must have a cover price. Annuals excluded. Movement on the Big Magazine list compared to 2016 Q3 data.
ABC Q4 2016 stories:
- ABC Analysis Q4 2016: The biggest-circulating newspapers in South Africa
- ABC Analysis Q4 2016: The biggest-circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
ABC Q3 2016 stories:
- ABC Analysis Q3 2016: The biggest-circulating newspapers in South Africa
- ABC Analysis Q3 2016: The biggest-circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
ABC Q2 2016 stories:
- ABC Analysis Q2 2016: The biggest-circulating newspapers in South Africa
- ABC Analysis Q2 2016: The biggest-circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
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
For more ABC stories:
Herman Manson (@marklives) is the founder and editor of MarkLives.com.
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Meanwhile some custom titles like Ackermans Club magazines have steadily been growing with increases in audience of 20% or more with ABC’s over 200 000 strong and growing and reaching audiances in excess of 2mil per month. But as they are seen as trade titles they struggle to win a share of agency FMCG budgets which are continually spent on the same tired and declining channels. Food for thought maybe?