#CircData: More declines as bad news keeps piling up for mags

by Herman Manson (@marklives) The Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa has released consumer-magazine circulation statistics for the period January–March 2020 (ABC Q1 2020); see our newspaper analysis here.

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Magazine overview

• Consumer magazine circulations decreased by -13.10% on the prior year.

Business press

All the main general business titles saw declines, with Forbes Africa leading the way, followed by Finweek and Financial Mail (FM). Noseweek made no submission.

Title	Retail sales	Single copy subs	Total paid	Total free	Total circ	Immediate previous period	Corresponding previous period	Percentage difference
Financial Mail	4 582	3 011	13 250	0	13 250	13 379	13 798	-3.97%
Finweek	2 399	1 029	10 879	3 250	14 129	14 954	15 976	-11.56%
Forbes Africa	4 463	101	9 764	3 126	12 890	13 330	18 610	-30.74%
Noseweek	0	0	0	0	No submission	7 315	9 284

In the business agri sector, no paid-for title increased circulation. The future of Farmer’s Weekly remains in doubt, following Caxton’s divestment from its magazine division.

Title	Retail sales	Single copy subs	Total paid	Total free	Total circ	Immediate previous period	Corresponding previous period	Percentage difference
Farmbiz	433	22	698	3 615	4 313	3 975	New Member
Farmer’s Weekly	7 550	760	9 910	119	10 029	9 146	10 462	-4.14%
Landbouweekblad	14 010	1 633	20 314	106	20 420	20 692	22 353	-8.65%
Marktoe!	0	0	0	10 749	10 749	10 482	9 850	9.13%
Veeplaas	2 630	109	4 467	3 194	7 661	8 665	8 402	-8.82%

Entertainment & celeb news

People magazine increased its total circulation, while Drum continued its collapse in circulation (in 2015, it had Q1 circulation of 100 388 — today, it sits at 19 602). Bona and People, both Caxton titles, have been shuttered while the group looks for potential buyers.

Title	Retail sales	Single copy subs	Total paid	Total free	Total circ	Immediate previous period	Corresponding previous period	Percentage difference
Bona	35 241	24 743	62 353	2 576	64 929	50 148	75 219	-13.68%
Drum	16 613	351	18 910	87	18 997	19 602	26 358	-27.93%
Huisgenoot	128 101	8 413	153 024	5 219	158 243	162 307	174 384	-9.26%
LIG	11 654	1 057	17 048	156	17 204	16 906	18 061	-4.75%
People	29 883	137	31 569	808	32 377	32 303	29 052	11.44%
The Big Issue	0	0	0	0	No submission	6 389	No Submission
You	75 044	1 511	79 423	2 774	82 197	83 214	85 402	-3.75%

Home, gardening & leisure

The future of Food and Home Entertaining, and SA Garden and Home, like other Caxton titles, remains in the balance. House & Leisure was closed down, alongside Associated Media.

Title	Retail sales	Single copy subs	Total paid	Total free	Total circ	Immediate previous period	Corresponding previous period	Percentage difference
Conde Nast House & Garden	9 959	818	19 219	2 008	21 227	27 060	27 867	-23.83%
Easy DIY	4 601	154	4 755	4 502	9 257	9 257	13 020	-28.90%
Food and Home Entertaining	8 841	786	13 794	3 338	17 132	17 828	17 240	-0.63%
Habitat	4 574	81	6 560	653	7 213	7 213	13 290	-45.73%
House & Leisure	12 528	0	20 187	847	21 034	21 034	Changed Frequency
Idees / Ideas	14 117	326	14 692	279	14 971	14 971	17 593	-14.90%
SA Garden and Home	27 866	2 489	34 788	3 303	38 091	37 126	38 698	-1.57%
SA Home Owner	19 456	744	24 759	3 468	28 227	30 157	32 701	-13.68%
The Gardener / Die Tuinier	0	0	0	0	No submission	30 434	34 564
Tuis Home	49 592	4 440	69 138	4 623	73 761	69 112	80 238	-8.07%
Visi	8 343	385	14 434	251	14 685	14 685	15 257	-3.75%

Men’s market

Title	Retail sales	Single copy subs	Total paid	Total free	Total circ	Immediate previous period	Corresponding previous period	Percentage difference
GQ	4 872	115	10 566	1 358	11 924	14 388	12 503	-4.63%
Men’s Health	10 899	736	14 275	802	15 077	13 518	21 336	-29.34%
Popular Mechanics	7 547	3 240	17 699	5 036	22 735	21 952	31 294	-27.35%
Stuff	4 626	238	10 525	2 133	12 658	12 658	22 546	-43.86%
Very Interesting	8 554	565	12 488	5 005	17 493	17 493	17 561	-0.39%

Hitting the road

The future of SA Country Life, a Caxton title, remains in the balance.

Title	Retail sales	Single copy subs	Total paid	Total free	Total circ	Immediate previous period	Corresponding previous period	Percentage difference
Getaway	13 569	3 591	29 186	3 611	32 797	30 575	41 298	-20.58%
SA Country Life	12 797	3 978	21 156	2 627	23 783	25 582	27 938	-14.87%
TravelIdeas.	3 521	94	3 615	810	4 425	4 425	10 353	-57.26%
Weg / Go Platteland	23 880	1 461	26 821	55	26 876	26 876	29 176	-7.88%
Weg!/Go!	24 887	6 041	46 858	3 146	50 004	45 836	57 871	-13.59%

Woman’s general

Cosmopolitan, Good Housekeeping, Essentials, Rooi Rose, Woman & Home Your Family and Vroue Keur have all been affected by the closures of Associated Magazines and Caxton Magazines.

Title	Retail sales	Single copy subs	Total paid	Total free	Total circ	Immediate previous period	Corresponding previous period	Percentage difference
Cosmopolitan	12 874	6 505	32 660	2 256	34 916	34 916	Changed Frequency
Essentials	13 585	885	17 925	3 265	21 190	18 620	19 319	9.68%
Fairlady	23 115	1 042	27 884	1 644	29 528	27 062	33 999	-13.15%
Glamour	11 507	200	20 015	1 533	21 548	28 733	34 450	-37.45%
Good Housekeeping	18 256	1 147	30 132	3 801	33 933	33 933	Changed Frequency
Kuier	70 358	1 667	77 076	125	77 201	85 949	87 891	-12.16%
Move!	28 437	0	30 745	292	31 037	32 811	51 026	-39.17%
Rooi Rose	48 676	2 483	59 342	3 535	62 877	58 532	61 685	1.93%
Sarie	38 735	4 816	59 195	3 425	62 620	54 548	65 849	-4.90%
True Love	19 769	489	23 440	3 425	26 865	22 043	31 693	-15.23%
Vroue Keur	35 996	994	38 657	405	39 062	38 623	44 104	-11.43%
Woman and Home	45 859	3 370	58 226	3 832	62 058	64 934	56 201	10.42%
Women’s Health	21 450	601	23 866	730	24 596	15 170	23 290	5.61%
Your Family	14 453	2 379	20 929	3 463	24 392	23 771	23 904	2.04%

The MarkLives’ Big Magazine list — total circulation**

Q1 2020

1. Huisgenoot: 158 243
2. YOU: 82 197 +1
3. Kuier: 77 201 -1
4. Tuis/Home: 73 761
5. Bona: 64 929 +4
6. CAR: 63 509
7. Rooi Rose: 62 877
8. Sarie: 62 620
9. Woman and Home: 62 058 -4
10. Weg/Go!: 50 004

The MarkLives’ Big Magazine list — retail copy sales***

1. Huisgenoot: 128 101
2. YOU: 75 044
3. Kuier: 70 358
4. Tuis/Home: 49 592
5. Rooi Rose: 48 676
6. Woman and Home: 45 859
7. Sarie: 38 735
8. Vroue Keur: 35 996
9. Bona: 35 241
10. People: 29 883

CAR: 28 998
Move!: 28 437
SA Garden and Home: 27 866
Weg/Go: 24 887
Fair Lady: 23 115
Kick Off: 20 006

*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 Q4 2019 data.
***By total circulation. Must have a cover price. Annuals excluded. Single copy retail sales.

See also

• #CircData: ABC Q1 2020 sees more newspaper circ numbers fall
• Circulation Data – ABC Analysis

 

Herman Manson (@marklives) is the founder and editor of MarkLives.com.

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