by Herman Manson (@marklives) The Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa has released consumer-magazine circulation statistics for the period October—December 2017 (ABC Q4 2017); see our newspaper ABC analysis here. Apart from highlighting several figures that stand out for us, we’ve included table of web traffic for consumer titles for Q4 and 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; brown minimal newsstand sales; and grey moved to a new category.
Key insights
Total magazine circulation declined by 8.1% over Q3, and by 16.6% over the prior year, according to information released by the ABC.
Consumer magazines declined by 5.8% over Q3 but increased by 1.4% over the prior year (several significant custom tiles moved to the consumer category and are now counted as consumer titles). The Home category decreased by 8.4% over Q3 but increased by 6.7% over the prior year (Real Estate increased by 23.5% over Q3 and 20.6% over the prior year; Elle Decoration increased by 7.6% over Q3 but declined by 14.2% over the prior year; and MyKitchen increased by 5.4% over Q3).
The Women’s General category increased by 1.2% over Q3 but declined by 14.7% over the prior year (True Love increased by 15.3% over Q3 but declined by 24.7% over the prior year; Fair Lady increased by 13.5% over Q3 and by 8.3% over the prior year; and Rooi Rose increased by 10.5% over Q3 but declined by 3.9% over the prior year).
The Motoring category declined by 4.4% over Q3 but increased by 5.7% over the prior year (Bike SA increased by 4.4% over Q3 and by 44% over the prior year; Motor increased by 4.1% over Q3; and SA 4X4 increased by 2.7% over Q3 and by 10.1% over the prior year). The Sport & Hobby category decreased by 4.4% over Q3 but increased by 38.4% over the prior year (The Bass Angler increased by 27.1% over Q3 and by 31% over the prior year; Runners World increased by 25.8% over Q3 and by 42% over the prior year; and Kick Off increased by 25.1% over Q3 but declined by 5.1% over the prior year.)
The Travel category increased by 12.6% over Q3 but declined by 3.3% over the prior year (Weg Namibië/Go Namibia increased by 13.9% over the prior year; Wegsleep Oordgids increased by 9.4% over the prior year; and Weg/Go increased by 9% over Q3 and by 6.7% over the prior year.)
B2B magazines declined by 0.5% over Q3 but increased by 2.7% over the prior year. Custom magazines declined by 11.7% over Q3 and by 30.7% over the prior year. Free magazines declined by 7% over Q3 and by 21.5% over the prior year.
The business press
Finweek has jumped from 11 977 to 18 209 (total free copies = 2 791 plus sales at below 50% of the cover price = 7 273; single copy sales: 4 403). Financial Mail is up from 12 162 to 13 016 in the corresponding previous reporting period.
Your Business Magazine has declined from 10 565 to 8 520; Forbes Africa has fallen from 19 008 to 17 733 (total free = 9 875); Entrepreneur has declined from 17 856 to 15 898; and Noseweek has inched down from 12 924 to 12 374.
Landbouweekblad has grown from 26 098 to 27 292 but Farmer’s Weekly has declined from 11 836 to 11 334 and Veeplaas has fallen from 7 787 to 7 657.
Biggest-circulating business magazines in terms of paid-for (sales, bulk and subscriptions) circulation
- Entrepreneur: 15 898 z+1
- Finweek: 15 418 -1
- Financial Mail: 13 016
- Noseweek: 12 374
- Forbes Africa: 7 858
- Your Business: 7 109
Biggest-circulating business magazines in terms of total circulation
- Finweek: 18 209 +1
- Forbes Africa: 17 733 -1
- Entrepreneur: 15 898
- Financial Mail: 13 016
- Noseweek: 12 374
- Your Business: 8 520
Position movement relative to Q3 2017.
Entertainment & celeb news
People has seen its circulation decrease from 42 708 to 35 149. TV Plus (Afrikaans) is down from 29 520 to 28 057 and the English edition has fallen from 24 545 to 15 490.
Bona is up from 57 828 to 62 676 in the previous corresponding reporting period. Drum has continued its collapse from 53 207 to 37 200; Huisgenoot has fallen from 207 661 185 002; and YOU has fallen from 110 554 to 95 359.
Taalgenoot has inched up from 68 427 to 69 111. The Big Issue has fallen from 12 523 to 11 165.
Home & gardening, leisure
Condé Nast House & Garden has declined from 33 265 to 30 633 (total free = 3 967). Food & Home Entertaining has fallen from 23 782 to 23 004 (total free: 5 026). House & Leisure has declined from 23 127 to 18 397 (total free: 1 839).
Woolworths TASTE is listed as a custom magazine; circulation has inched up from 27 376 to 28 453 (single copy sales: 23 809).
ELLE Decoration has fallen from 19 906 to 17 086 (total free: 4 410) and SA Home Owner is down from 37 292 to 36 895 (total free: 8 357). SA Garden and Home is down from 52 098 to 43 128 (total free: 3 658). Tuis Home has climbed from 78 432 to 81 505 (total free has jumped to 3 610) and VISI has climbed from 14 820 15 082. MyKitchen (TFG) has come in at 103 338 (new category: moved from custom).
Men’s market
Destiny Man has fallen from 14 775 to 9 230 (total free 1 491). Very Interesting has grown from 15 199 to 18 140 (total free = 5 669) in the previous corresponding reporting period.
GQ is down from 21 084 to 16 839 (total free: 3 127); but Men’s Health has inched up from 32 088 to 32 260 (total free: 5 056). Popular Mechanics has fallen from 30 670 to 24 823 (total free: 2 222). Stuff is up from 13 465 to 14 756 (total free jumps to 3 984). Tech is at 65 302 (new category: moved from custom).
Health, fitness, sport
Kick Off is down from 23 795 to 22 584. Sports Club (TFG) has come in at 153 586 (changed category from custom). Golf Digest has jumped from 7 826 to 9 940.
SA Hunter has climbed from 42 592 to 46 519 while Game & Hunt/Wild & Jag is down from 9 089 to 6 375.
Hitting the road
SA 4×4 has climbed from 13 882 to 15 285 but Driven has declined from 18 399 to 16 389. Leisure Wheels has fallen from 14 753 to 14 409 while CAR has fallen from 65 228 to 61 662. TFG Motor has been moved from the custom to consumer category; its circulation has come in at 42 789. Speed and Sound is down from 27 041 to 23 940. Bike SA has jumped from 12 478 to 17 946 (total free jumps to 7 877). Super Bike has declined from 10 294 to 9 428 (total free: 4 467).
Getaway is up from 37 836 to 38 677 (total free falls to 4 729) and Weg!/Go! has grown from 55 072 to 58 774. SA Country Life has declined from 34 367 to 29 784. Platteland has fallen from 35 424 to 32 729.
Woman’s general
Fair Lady has grown from 34 571 to 37 431 (total free: 2 648). Destiny Magazine is down from 27 105 to 23 017 (total free: 5 035). Cosmopolitan has declined from 40 978 to 35 763 (total free = 3 566), and Glamour from 44 379 to 43 483 (total free: 3 444). ELLE is down from 27 273 to 21 510 (total free: 4 231).
Good Housekeeping/Goeie Huishouding has declined from 45 340 to 37 891 (total free: 3 482). Move! has fallen from 79 237 to 65 960. True Love is down from 42 373 to 31 925, and Vroue Keur has dropped from 55 298 to 48 829.
Longevity is up from 15 140 to 16 841 (total free: 2 173) but Kuier has declined from 99 684 to 94 851, Rooi Rose has declined from 73 446 to 70 546 (total free: 4 030) and Finesse is down from 43 429 to 39 933. Essentials is down from 24 649 to 21 636; Sarie has fallen from 68 305 to 61 726, Your Family is down from 35 277 to 27 512, and Women’s Health has decreased from 34 937 to 34 387. Marie Claire has fallen from 20 933 to 18 767 (total free: 1 830).
The MarkLives’ Big Magazine list*
- Huisgenoot: 185 002
- Sports Club (TFG): 153 586
- Kids Super Club (TFG): 123 317
- MyKitchen (TFG): 103 338
- YOU: 95 359
- Kuier: 94 851
- Tuis/Home: 81 505
- Woman and Home: 77 054
- Rooi Rose: 70 546 +2 re-enters top 10
- Taalgenoot: 69 111 +1 re-enters top 10
Foschini Living Space: 68 341
Move!: 65 960 -1
Tech (TFG): 65 302
Bona: 62 676 -2
Sarie: 61 726
CAR: 61 662
*By total circulation. Must have a cover price. Annuals excluded. Movement on the Big Magazine list compared to 2017 Q3 data.
Web traffic Q4 for consumer magazines
Impressions |
Daily average unique browsers |
Title |
Category |
848183 | 13634 | Car | Motoring |
816277 | 15733 | SA Rugby | Sport and Hobby |
535390 | 10234 | Good Housekeeping/ Goeie Huishoudng | Woman’s General |
457451 | 8626 | Getaway | Travel |
297142 | 5747 | Destiny Magazine | Woman’s General |
286491 | 4339 | Cosmopolitan | Woman’s General |
277739 | 4432 | Vrouekeur | Woman’s General |
266728 | 4294 | Rooi Rose | Woman’s General |
259457 | 4785 | People | Celebrity |
255539 | 3125 | Essentials | Woman’s General |
228428 | 2683 | Woman and Home | Woman’s General |
189795 | 3079 | Farmer’s Weekly | Farming |
189337 | 3547 | Bona | Family Interest |
174510 | 3147 | Cape Etc. | Travel |
173782 | 1698 | Food & Home Entertaining | Home |
154702 | 3171 | Marie Claire | Woman’s General |
150100 | 2448 | Living and Loving | Parenting |
148346 | 2914 | Destiny Man | Male |
145850 | 1828 | SA Garden and Home | Home |
122989 | 1736 | Your Family | Woman’s General |
100115 | 1776 | Voelgoed | Woman’s General |
85585 | 1299 | House and Leisure | Home |
71458 | 1469 | SA Country Life | Travel |
62464 | 685 | SA Home Owner | Home |
58977 | 1255 | Elle | Woman’s General |
47221 | 1021 | Leisure Wheels | Motoring |
38459 | 626 | Popular Mechanics | Male |
22604 | 391 | Elle Decoration | Home |
19922 | 255 | Compleat Golfer | Sport and Hobby |
Excludes titles which have resigned, changed frequency or been discontinued.
ABC 2017 stories
- ABC Analysis Q4 2017: The biggest-circulating newspapers in South Africa
- ABC Analysis Q3 2017: The biggest-circulating newspapers in South Africa
- ABC Analysis Q3 2017: The biggest-circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
- ABC Analysis Q2 2017: The biggest-circulating newspapers in South Africa
- ABC Analysis Q2 2017: The biggest-circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
- ABC Analysis Q1 2017: The biggest-circulating newspapers in South Africa
- ABC Analysis Q1 2017: The biggest-circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
More ABC stories
Herman Manson (@marklives) is the founder and editor of MarkLives.com.
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Again, wondering why Escapes Magazine is omitted from your lists. Seeing as it’s surely one of SAs most read travel mags.
Strange.
Richard – we clearly indicate in the headline that the focus is on consumer rather than custom magazines. So not strange at all.