by Herman Manson (@marklives) The Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa has released consumer-magazine circulation statistics for the period October–December 2018 (ABC Q4 2018); see our newspaper analysis here.
Magazine overview
- Total magazine circulation declined by 8.4% on the previous quarter, and by 19.7% year-on-year
- Consumer magazines declined by 3.8% on the previous quarter, and by 12.4% on the prior year
- B2B magazines increased by 8.9% on the previous quarter, and was similar to the prior year
- Custom magazines declined by 11.9% on the prior quarter, and by 17.8% on the prior year
- Free magazines declined by 38.3% on the prior quarter, and by 40.2% year-on-year.
The business press
Finweek has fallen from 18 209 to 15 423 (total free copies = 2 533) in the corresponding previous reporting period (Q4 2017). Financial Mail has bucked the trend and increased from 13 016 to 13 910.
Forbes Africa has fallen from 19 293 to 14 109 (total free = 1 516) and Noseweek is down from 12 374 to 9 882. Entrepreneur announced it would cease publication of the print edition to focus on digital. Your Business Magazine has been discontinued.
Landbouweekblad has fallen from 27 292 to 22 723 and Farmer’s Weekly has declined from 11 3348 to 10 421.
Leading declines (YOY)*
Forbes Africa: -26.87%
Noseweek: -20.14%
Finweek: -15.13%
Entertainment & celeb news
People has seen its circulation decrease from 35 149 to 29 575. TV Plus (Afrikaans) is down from 28 057 to 22 564 and the English edition has slid from 15 490 to 11 164. Taalgenoot has moved from consumer to custom magazines.
Bona has grown from 62 687 to 66 887 in the previous corresponding reporting period. Drum has fallen from 37 200 to 27 288; Huisgenoot from 185 002 to 174 683; and YOU from 95 359 to 88 301.
The Big Issue has fallen from 11 165 to 8 769.
Leading declines (YOY)*
TV Plus (English): -27.93%
Drum: -26.65%
People: -23.21%
TV Plus (Afrikaans): -19.58%
People: -15.86%
Home & gardening, leisure
Condé Nast House & Garden has fallen from 30 633 to 25 783 (total free = 7 417). Food & Home Entertaining has declined from 23 003 to 16 877 (total free: 2 147). Tuis Home has climbed from 81 505 to 82 179 (total free = 5 605) and VISI has gone up from 15 082 to 15 257. Easy DIY has increased from 10 000 to 13 020.
House & Leisure has inched up from 18 397 to 18 635. SA Home Owner is down from 36 895 to 32 852 (total free: 6 533), and SA Garden and Home has fallen from 43 128 to 39 204 (total free: 2 784). Idees/Ideas has decreased from 18 423 to 17 593.
ELLE Decoration has been discontinued.
Leading declines (YOY)*
Food and Home Entertaining: -26.63%
Conde Nast House & Garden: -15.83%
SA Home Owner: -10.96%
Leading gains (YOY)
Easy DIY: +30.20%
The Gardener/Die Tuinier: +8.52%
Men’s market
Very Interesting has declined from 18 140 to 17 561 (total free = 4 854) in the previous corresponding reporting period, while Men’s Health has fallen from 32 260 to 23 452 (total free: 2 689). GQ went from 16 839 to 15 577 (total free: 6 501).
Popular Mechanics has grown from 24 823 to 30 345 (total free: 3 950); but Stuff has jumped from 11 006 to 21 362 (total free: 1 902).
Destiny Man has been discontinued.
Leading declines (YOY)*
Men’s Health: -27.30%
Leading gains (YOY)
Stuff: +94.09%
Popular Mechanics: +22.25%
Hitting the road
Leisure Wheels has climbed from 14 409 to 17 956 (total free = 4 897), while CAR has increased from 61 662 to 65 283 (total free = 4 658). Speed and Sound has declined from 23 940 to 22 695 and SA4x4 has fallen from 15 285 to 13 586. Caravan & Outdoor Life/Kamp & Karavaan has grown from 16 136 to 18 683. Driven has inched up from 16 389 to 16 458.
Weg!/Go! is down from 58 774 to 56 932 (total free = 6 696) but Getaway has grown from 38 677 to 41 077 (total free = 11 760). SA Country Life has decreased from 29 788 to 26 641 (total free = 1 643). Weg!/Go! Platteland has fallen from 32 729 to 29 176.
Leading declines (YOY)*
SA4x4: -11.12%
Speed & Sound: -5.20%
Leading gains (YOY)
Leisure Wheels: +24.62%
Caravan & Outdoor Life/Kamp & Karavaan: +15.78%
Woman’s general
ELLE has been discontinued, as has Destiny and Marie Claire.
Glamour has changed frequency, and has fallen from 43 483 to 33 607 (total free = 12 106). Fair Lady is down from 37 431 to 35 624 (total free: 2 649) while Cosmopolitan has climbed from 35 763 to 37 683 (total free = 3 728). True Love increased from 31 925 to 36 330.
Good Housekeeping/Goeie Huishouding has grown from 37 891 to 38 632 (total free: 3 758). Move! has fallen from 65 960 to 53 524. Vroue Keur has dropped from 48 829 to 43 554. Woman and Home is down from 77 054 to 67 724 (total free: 2 680).
Kuier has declined from 94 851 to 91 964, Rooi Rose has decreased from 70 546 to 64 406. Sarie has increased from 61 726 to 66 585 (total free = 6 081). Essentials has declined from 21 453 to 18 388. Fitness Magazine has resigned.
Your Family is down from 27 511 to 22 989, and Women’s Health has decreased from 34 387 to 26 005.
Leading declines (YOY)*
Women’s Health: -24.38%
Move!: -18.85%
Your Family: -16.44%
Essentials: -14.29%
Women & Home: -12.11%
Vroue Keur: -10.80%
Leading gains (YOY)
True Love: +13.80%
Sarie: +7.87%
Cosmopolitan: +5.37%
The MarkLives’ Big Magazine list**
Q4 2018
- Huisgenoot: 174 683
- Kuier: 91 964 +2
- YOU: 88 301
- Tuis/Home: 82 179 +1
- Woman and Home: 67 724 +3
- Bona: 66 887 +4
- Sarie: 66 585
- CAR: 65 283 -2
- Rooi Rose: 64 406 +2
- Weg/Go!: 56 932 -1
- Move!: 53 524
Notes: Taalgenoot, Sports Club (TFG), Kids Super Club (TFG), MyKitchen (TFG) and Foschini Living Space all moved back to custom magazines, and therefore automatically fall out of our ranking.
- *Year on year. Only titles covered in this feature; not all titles in ABC category; excludes titles with recent frequency changes.
- **By total circulation. Must have a cover price. Annuals excluded. Movement on the Big Magazine list compared to Q3 2018 data.
See also
Herman Manson (@marklives) is the founder and editor of MarkLives.com.
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