by Herman Manson (@marklives) The Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa has released circulation statistics for the period January — March 2014 (ABC Q1 2014). Here are several consumer magazine ABC figures that stand out for us (see our newspaper ABC analysis here). We’ve also updated our list of the biggest circulating consumer magazines in SA.
Note: we compare the current figures with the same figures for this time last year, and not with the previous quarter. Green equals growth, red equals decline.
Overall, circulation has fallen to 5 888 456 from 6 207 891 in the previous corresponding reporting period (and from 5 912 008 in the previous quarter). Single copy sales stand at 3 964 472 (down from 3 974 366 in Q4 2013) and total paid (includes subscription figures) stand at 4 718 243 (down from 4 754 642 in Q4 2013). Paid-for digital copy sales stand at 89 144 (up from 76 823 in Q4 2013 and 69,581 in 2013 Q3).
Some insights
- Entrepreneur retains the top slot as the business magazine with the highest paid-for circulation in the country (23 247), followed by Financial Mail (21 315).
- Elle Decoration and Visi buck the downward-circulation trend.
- The guns-and-hunting category continues to see circulation gains.
- In the motor category, nobody comes close to CAR. Sorry, TopGear.
- Rooi Rose sees a dramatic decline to 83 899 from 96 621, while arch-rival Sarie grows to 108 436 from 104 862.
- Kuier and Move! keep on impressing.
- Finweek now sells fewer than 10 000 copies a week.
Finweek continues decline
Finweek has fallen to 11 995 from 17 571 in the corresponding previous period (and for the period October — December 2012 it stood at 23 456, then down from 26 241). It includes a total free circulation of 2 503. Its paid-for circulation already stands below 10 000 copies per issue. Granted, this is a weekly, and most of its competitors in the entrepreneurial space are monthlies. But this is a dramatic decline from where the magazine was even a year ago. The Financial Mail, meanwhile, has grown slightly, to 23 400 from 23 049.
Entrepreneur has grown nicely to 23 913, up from 20 272 in the corresponding previous period. Personal Finance also has also grown to 13 334 from 11 647. Noseweek has declined to 18 537 from 20 417.
Biggest-circulating business magazines in terms of paid-for (sales, bulk and subscriptions) circulation:
Entrepreneur: 23 247
Financial Mail: 21 315
Noseweek: 18 537
Personal Finance: 13 319
Succeed Magazine: 12 187
Finweek: 9 452
Your Business: 9 031
Forbes Africa: 8 904
Biggest-circulating business magazines in terms of total circulation:
Financial Mail: 23 400
Entrepreneur: 23 913
Succeed Magazine: 22 195
Forbes Africa: 19 193
Noseweek: 18 537
Personal Finance: 13 334
Finweek: 11 955
Your Business: 10 478
Entertainment, celeb news hit a downer
heat magazine has dropped to 28 017, down from 29 442. People has grown to 83 573 from 82 464 in the corresponding previous period. TV Plus (Afrikaans) has fallen to 36 058 from 37 752 while its English language edition has fallen to 39 973 from 41 594.
Bona is down to 96 572 from 98 267. Drum has fallen to 115 402 from 121 768, while Huisgenoot has dropped to 275 902 from 285 520 (but up from 261 224 in the last quarter) and YOU to 151 584 from 165 330. Taalgenoot has dropped to 67 300 from 68 330. Rolling Stone is slightly down to 7 116 from 7 155 (but more significantly from 8 723 in the previous quarter).
Home & gardening, leisure
In the home category, Conde Nast House & Garden sees a significant decline to 42 547 from 47 812. Home Handyman is down to 10 034 from 11 664.
House & Leisure has dropped to 47 988 from 54 551 in the previous corresponding period — but up from 40 320 in the previous quarter. SA Garden and Home is also down slightly, to 59 410 from 60 902. Plascon Spaces is down to 15 793 from 24 020.
Elle Decoration has managed to increase its circulation to 25 552 from 23 630 and VISI has climbed to 13 349 from 12531. SA Home Owner has grown to 46 288 from 42 361. Tuis/Home is down to 83 226 from 85 654. Die Tuinier has fallen to 22 220 from 24038.
On the foodie front, Sarie Kos has grown to 52 503 — up from 50 496. Ginja has climbed to 3 982 from 2 573 in the previous quarter; it’s new, so there is no previous corresponding period. Food and Home Entertaining has fallen to 30 371 from 34 052.
Men’s market
Blaque Magazine has managed to come in with the exact number of copies as it did in the previous quarter — 14 638 (total sales: 5 119). Braintainment has grown to 13 404 from 12 525, and Destiny Man to 20 922 from 19 251. Popular Mechanics has climbed to 48 674 from 48 283.
GQ has come in at 27 435; it has changed its frequency from 10 to 11 copies a year. Gaming title NAG is sitting at 18 436, down from 21 333.
Men’s Health has fallen to 52 881 from 69 196 and Stuff has fallen to 18 352 from 25 317 (it recently upped its frequency from six to 10 issues). In this category, FHM was discontinued earlier this year.
Health, fitness, sport
Amakhosi is down to 31 573 from 35 646 and Compleat Golfer has fallen to 11 076 from 14 638. Kick Off has fallen to 40 815 from 47 425. Runners World has fallen to 19 397 from 21 630 and SA Rugby to 19 977 from 20 848.
Fitness (His edition) has grown to 11 693 from 8 214. Game & Hunt/Wild & Jag has climbed to 13 583 from 11 653 and SA Hunter to 41 285 from 38 517. Inside Fitness Magazine is up to 8 530 from 7 714. Ride is up to 12 007 from 11291. ZigZag is up to 9 432 from 8 533.
Weigh-Less Magazine has grown to 22 510 from 21 344 while Health Intelligence has grown to 17 522 from 15 697. Longevity has fallen to 17 217 from 22 339.
Hitting the road
Bike SA has declined to 22 358 from 25 734, while Super Bike has grown to 9 722 from 6 172. Caravan and Outdoor Life has dropped to 21 532 from 23 323. SA4x4 has fallen to 21 368 from 23 299.
CAR has fallen to 77 739 from 89 620, while Leisure Wheels has fallen to 20 857 from 21 876 and Speed and Sound
to 38 359 from 41 143. Drive Out/WegRy has grown slightly to 36 704 from 36 531. TopCar has grown to 19 186 from 17 706. TopGear is down to 31 277 from 32 896.
Auto Trader has fallen to 10 237 from 14 583.
Getaway has fallen to 48 137 from 55 424 and SA Country Life to 39 930 from 40 708 and Weg/Go to 72 760 from 79 727. Wegsleep has dropped to 30 622 from 32 540.
Rooi Rose wilts
Here we go again! Cosmopolitan has fallen to 70 172 from 83 049. Elle is down to 32 174 from 32 544, Essentials to 36 438 from 37 147 and Fair Lady to 50 122 from 59 121. Finesse has fallen to 63 216 from 69 562, Glamour to 67 973 from 72 676, Good Housekeeping / Goeie Huishouding to 55 879 from 66 169, Grazia to 19 013 from 23 686 and Ideas/Idees to 71 863 from 89 321. Leef is down to 37 400 from 40 089, Marie Claire to 36 222 from 37 959, O magazine to to 31 093 from 35 197, True Love to 61 223 from 67 388, Woman and Home to 85 183 from 90 830 and Your Family to 39 312 from 50 535 (ouch!). Women’s Health? Down to 72 306 from 74 492.
Rooi Rose has seen a dramatic decline to 83 899 from 96 621, while arch-rival Sarie has grown to 108 436 from 104 862. Kuier has continued its success streak — circulation is up to 106 335 from 95 846, while Move! has upped its circulation to 135 611 from 119 480. Destiny Magazine has grown to 29 870 from 28 337 and Fitness magazine to 22 972 from 17 624.
The MarkLives Big Magazine list*
- Huisgenoot: 275 902 –
- YOU: 151 584 –
- Move!: 135 611 –
- Drum: 115 402 –
- Sarie: 108 436 +2
- Kuier: 106 335 -1
- Bona: 96 572 +3
- Woman and Home: 85 183 –
- Rooi Rose: 83 899 -3
- People: 83 573 3-1
Tuis/Home: 83 226
CAR: 77 739
Women’s Health: 72 306
Weg/Go: 72 760
Ideas/Idees: 71 863
Cosmopolitan: 70 172
*By total circulation. Must have a cover price. Annuals excluded.
Movement on the Big Magazine list compared to 2013 Q4 data.
ABC: The biggest circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
ABC: The biggest circulating newspapers in South Africa
ABC Magazine Round-up: Consumer magazines continue decline
ABC Newspaper Round-up: Weekend papers suffer
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