by Herman Manson (@marklives) The Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa has released consumer-magazine circulation statistics for the period April–June 2016 (ABC Q2 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
Overall, circulation fell to 4 748 425 from 5 435 034 in the previous corresponding reporting period (and from 5 144 687 in the previous quarter). Single-copy sales stood at 2 944 363 (down from 3 477 480 in Q2 2015) and total paid (which includes subscription figures) stood at 3 612 280 (down from 4 165 913 in Q2 2015). Paid-for digital copy sales were at 75 520 (down from 88 411 in Q2 2015).
Custom magazines saw an overall circulation decline to 7 939 635 from 8 711 693 in the corresponding previous reporting period. Single copy sales in this category stand at 74 169, and total paid for circulation at 1 746 489.
According to calculations provided by the ABC, total magazine circulation declined by 0.8%, compared to the last quarter; consumer magazines declined by 7.7%; B2B magazines increased by 0.8%; and custom magazines increased by 1.7%.
The business press
Financial Mail has declined to 15 224 from 16 148 in the corresponding previous reporting period. Finweek is down to 11 019 from 11 313 (total free copies = 2 617).
Entrepreneur has fallen to 17 839 from 18 394. Forbes Africa has grown to 22 683 from 18 380 (total free = 11 011). Noseweek has declined to 15 307 from 17 040. Your Business Magazine has declined to 9 359 from 10 318. BusinessBrief (listed by the ABC as a B2B publication but available on the newsstand) has jumped to 29 632 from 22 356 (total free = 687, PDF = 22 809). Leadership (also B2B) has declined to 8 209 from 8 248 (total free: 7 049, single copy sales: 437).
Farmer’s Weekly is down to 12 556 from 14 417 and Landbouweekblad has fallen to 28 922 from 33 082 (and from 43 703 in Q2 2014). Plaastoe! (formerly Marktoe! Magazine) has grown to 20 323 from 19 855 (total free = 17 975). Veeplaas has fallen to 9 381 from 10 422.
Biggest-circulating business magazines in terms of paid-for (sales, bulk and subscriptions) circulation:
- BusinessBrief: 28 945
- Entrepreneur: 17 829
- Noseweek: 15,307
- Financial Mail: 15 224
- Forbes Africa: 11,672 +1
- Personal Finance: 10 948 -1
- Your Business: 8 507 +1
- Finweek: 8 402 -1
Biggest-circulating business magazines in terms of total circulation:
- BusinessBrief: 29 632 +1
- Forbes Africa: 22 683 -1
- Entrepreneur: 17 839
- Noseweek: 15 307
- Financial Mail: 15 224
- Personal Finance: 11 459
- Finweek: 11 019
- Your Business: 9 359
Position movement relative to Q1 2016.
Entertainment & celeb news
People has continued its circulation decline by falling to 46 081 from 61 111. TV Plus (Afrikaans) is down to 32 409 from 35 007, while the English edition has fallen slightly to 29 091 from 31 287.
Bona is down to 67 279 from 81 961 in the previous corresponding reporting period (it stood at 105 816 in Q2 2012). Drum has collapsed to 59 156 from 86 873 (Q2 2012 = 130 513), Huisgenoot has dropped to 219 309 from 245 388 (Q2 2012: 281 045) and YOU has fallen to 116 560 from 136 762 (Q2 2012 = 167 485).
The Big Issue falls to 11 537 from 12 540. Taalgenoot is up to 69 023 from 66 259 (total free = only 231).
Home & gardening, leisure
Condé Nast House & Garden has declined to 34 336 from 40 010 (total free: 7 728). Easy DYI is down to 12 595 from 14 091. Food & Home Entertaining has fallen to 30 317 from 32 497 (total free: 6 842). House & Leisure has declined significantly to 26 921 from 36 155 (total free: 5 402). Sarie Kos has fallen to 31 943 from 39 786.
Elle Decoration has fallen to 22 705 from 24 037 (total free: 5 902) and SA Home Owner is down to 38 934 from 39 763 (total free: 8 208). SA Garden and Home is down to 60 256 from 65 847 (total free: 7 062). Tuis Home has fallen to 81 769 from 84 313 (total free: 0), while VISI has grown to 15 111 from 14 838 (total free: 518). Woolworths TASTE is listed as a custom magazine; circulation has grown to 25 624 from 24 176. Fresh Living/Kook en Kuier has also grown to 449 145 from 60 863 (free copies = 439 449) after becoming available free to active PnP Smart Shoppers.
Men’s market
Very Interesting (formerly Braintainment) has grown to 18 508, compared to 16 820 (total free: 3 084) in the previous corresponding reporting period. Destiny Man is down to 13 899 from 15 914 (total free: 3 772). Blaque Magazine comes in at 9 761 after changing its frequency from monthly to quarterly.
GQ is down to 23 662 from 25 215 (total free: 8 293). Hype has grown to 17 804 from 14 180 (total free: 6 843).
Men’s Health has fallen to 32 512 from 42 011 and Popular Mechanics to 34 044 from 34 725. Stuff is down to 15 893 from 16 309 (total free: 3 876). Tjop & Dop failed to submit it circulation data.
Health, fitness, sport
Amakhosi has collapsed to 14 119 from 24 085 and Kick Off has fallen to 25 839 from 30 639. Golf Digest has fallen to 8 770, up from 9 484, but Compleat Golfer is up to 9 684, from 8 823 (total free = 5 161).
Magnum has fallen to 13 219 from 15 869 while Game & Hunt/Wild & Jag has grown to 13 920 from 13 605. SA Hunter has fallen to 44 334 from 46 473.
Zigzag made no ABC submission for Q2 2016. Modern Athlete has jumped to 53 516 from 44 501 (total free: 52 988).
Inside Fitness Magazine South Africa and HQ Pony ceased publication. Trail Magazine resigned from the ABC and circulation data for Tread wasn’t released as a result of non-payment of ABC membership fees.
Hitting the road
CAR has up to 63 407 from 61 975 and Leisure Wheels to 15 764 from 17 392. TopGear has fallen to 16 080 from 20 842. Drive Out/WegRy has declined to 25 013 from 28 601 and Topcar to 13 764 from 17 333.
Auto Trader is down to 3 075 from 8 169. Bike SA is down to 15 367 from 16 815. SA 4×4 has fallen to 15 496 from 18 487. Speed and Sound is down to 28 960 from 32 383.
Getaway has climbed to 40 167 from 31 555 (total free: 7 092) but Weg/Go falls to 55 330 from 66 771. SA Country Life has climbed 41 780 from 39 907 (total free: 5 675). Platteland has declined from 35 424 to 38 610.
Woman’s general
Cosmopolitan has declined to 46 938 from 52 326 (total free: 8 856), Glamour to 51 215 from 58 025 (total free: 12 316) and Elle to 24 734 from 30 026 (total free: 3 873). Fair Lady is up slightly to 40 781 from 40 320. Finesse is down to 41 348 from 55 097. Destiny Magazine is down to 25 958 from 28 261 (total free: 8 358).
Good Housekeeping/Goeie Huishouding has declined to 48 937 from 53 607 (total free: 7 790), Ideas/Idees has declined to 48 454 from 53 160 and Leef to 27 870 from 35 253. Move! has fallen to 90 644 from 101 566. True Love is down to 45 289 from 53 761 and Vroue Keur has dropped to 56 549 from 66 486, but Woman and Home has grown slightly to 86 123 from 85 585 (total free = 9 863).
Essentials is down to 31 073 from 34 105, while Fitness Magazine has grown to 22 804 from 21 366. Grazia falls to 14 813 from 21 184. Kuier has fallen to 98 138 from 105 390. Marie Claire has dropped to 22 805 from 33 595 (total free = 3 825). Rooi Rose is down to 68 809 from 76 158. Sarie has fallen to 71 124 from 91 392. Your Family is down to 38 442 from 39 921. Women’s Health has declined to 34 728 from 42 201, and Longevity to 18 449 from 20 103.
The MarkLives’ Big Magazine list*
- Huisgenoot: 219 309
- YOU: 116 560
- Kuier: 98 138 +1
- Move!: 90 644 -1
- Woman and Home: 86 123
- Tuis/Home: 81 769 +1
- Sarie: 71 124 re-entry
- Taalgenoot: 69 023 new
- Rooi Rose: 68 809 -3
- Bona: 67,279 -1
CAR: 63 407 falls out of Top 10
SA Garden & Home: 60 256
Drum: 59 156
*By total circulation. Must have a cover price. Annuals excluded. Movement on the Big Magazine list compared to 2016 Q1 data.
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. 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.
— Sign up now for the MarkLives email newsletter every Monday and Thursday, now including headlines from the Ramify.biz company newsroom service!