by Herman Manson (@marklives) The Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa has released newspaper-circulation statistics for the period January—March 2018 (ABC Q1 2018); see our magazine ABC analysis here and a summary of key metrics provided by the ABC here.
- 2 July 2019: Indy circ figures fall in ABC restatement
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 declined; purple maintained, new entrant or renamed; orange discontinued or resigned; pink no submission or suspended; brown minimal newsstand sales; and grey changed frequency or moved to a new category.
Key insights
Total newspaper circulation increased by 0.8% on the previous quarter, but declined by 4.4% year on year. Daily newspapers declined by 15.7% YOY, weekly newspapers by 12.5%, weekend newspapers by 9.2%, local by 6.0% and free newspapers by 1.1% year on year.
ABC member circulation totals:
- Daily newspapers: down from 1 211 887 to 1 051 223, compared to the previous corresponding period
- Weekly papers: down from 506 730 to 425 204
- Weekend papers: down from 1 436 844 to 1 306 436
- Local papers: down from 354 641 to 333 282
- Free papers: down from 6 254 874 to 6 187 758
Daily papers
In Gauteng, Pretoria News has fallen from 15 038 to 12 600 (sales below 50% of retail cost = 2 483). Beeld has fallen from 41 286 to 36 182 in the previous corresponding reporting period [851 copies go to Print Media in Education (PMIE)]. The Star is down from 84 857 to 75 836 (sales below 50% = 10 080). Sowetan is down from 80 010 to 70 120.
In the Cape, Die Burger (Eastern and Western Cape editions) has declined from 49 483 to 47 420. The Cape Argus has decreased from 29 707 to 27 946 (3 088 to PMIE), while the Cape Times has also declined from 31 212 to 29 994 (2 491 to PMIE). Son has fallen from 73 757 to 62 842.
In the Eastern Cape, Daily Dispatch has fallen from 20 509 to 18 575, and The Herald from 17 721 to 16 584.
In KwaZulu-Natal, the Daily News is down from 24 278 to 23 105 (1 074 = sales below 50%) and The Mercury has fallen from 26 185 to 25 659. The Witness has declined from 13 651 to 11 681.
The Citizen has grown from 43 480 to 45 358 (single copy sales: 30 081) but Business Day has declined from 21 555 to 20 350. The Daily Sun has continued its fall from 174 483 to 141 187. Isolezwe has fallen from 95 430 to 86 342.
Volksblad has declined from 15 527 to 13 991. Diamond Fields Advertiser declines down from 8 362 to 7 794 (860 = sales below 50%).
The MarkLives Big Daily Newspaper List*
- Daily Sun: 141 187
- Isolezwe: 86 342
- The Star: 75 836
- Sowetan: 70 120
- Son: 62 842
- Die Burger: 47 420
- The Citizen: 45 358
- Beeld: 36 182
- The Cape Times: 29 994
- Cape Argus: 27 946
Weekly & weekend papers
Pretoria News Saturday has declined from 8 946 to 7 510 (sales below 50% of cover price: 1 666). The Saturday Star is down from 51 202 to 45 172 (sales below 50% of cover price: 4 670); the Weekend Argus Saturday edition from 35 043 to 33 934; and Independent on Saturday from 37 489 to 36 144 (sales below 50% of cover price: 5 172).
Saturday Beeld has fallen from 38 918 to 37 253; Saturday Burger from 62 452 to 61 749 and Saturday Dispatch from 16 573 to 14 639.
City Press has declined from 71 710 to 58 566 (in Q1 2014 total circ stood at 118 676) and Rapport from 124 854 to 113 636 (single copy sales: 87 129; in Q1 2014, total circ stood at 177 016). The Sunday Times has declined from 262 569 to 260 132 (single copy sales: 159 131; in Q1 2014 total circ stood at 405 458).
Sunday Tribune has declined from 55 389 to 50 064 (sales below 50% = 6 628). Sunday Sun has collapsed from 86 081 to 62 674 and Sunday World has also dropped from 60 527 to 47 835.
Ilanga Langesonto has declined from 41 111 to 34 146 and Isolezwe ngeSonto has fallen from 72 282 to 65 489. Isolezwe ngoMgqibelo has fallen from 74 365 to 64 676.
In terms of the weeklies, The Post has declined from 40 154 to 37 310 (sales below 50%: 2 796) and Ilanga has fallen from 72 635 to 56 481. The Mail & Guardian has declined from 30 148 to 26 945. Soccer Laduma is down from 284 276 to 252 041.
The MarkLives’ Biggest Circulation Per Issue Newspaper List*
Q1 2018
-
- Sunday Times: 260 132
- Soccer Laduma: 252 041
- Daily Sun: 141 187
- Rapport: 113 636
- Isolezwe: 86 342
- The Star: 75 836
- Sowetan: 70 120
- Isolezwe ngeSonto: 65 489 +3
- Isolezwe ngoMgqibelo: 64 676 +1
- Son: 62 842 -1
Sunday Sun: 62 674 -3
Die Burger (Saturday): 61 749
City Press: 58 566
Ilanga: 56 481
*South African titles only. Must have a cover price. Excludes free papers.
For comparison
Q1 2014
- Sunday Times: 405 458
- Soccer Laduma: 317 013
- Daily Sun: 283 216
- Rapport: 177 016
- Sunday Sun: 172 741
- The Times: 142 603
- Isolezwe: 119 846
- City Press: 118 676
- Sunday World: 113 757
- The Star: 101 711
Ilanga: 100 853
Sowetan: 99 403
Isolezwe ngeSonto: 93 268
See also
- 2 July 2019: Indy circ figures fall in ABC restatement
- ABC Q1 2018 data: Continued circ decline
- ABC Analyses Q1–4 2017
- ABC Analysis – Circulation Data
Last updated 2 July 2019.
Herman Manson (@marklives) is the founder and editor of MarkLives.com.
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