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Magazines: ABC Q1 2024: Notable growth
The Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa (ABC) circulation figures for Q1 2024 for magazines have been released, with a notable 7.6% growth in this period.
Source: © TV with Thinus TV with Thinus The Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa (ABC) has released the Q1 for magazines
It's important to highlight that the inclusion of digital-only publications in these figures is a significant factor contributing to the observed trends in overall circulation.
However, this growth in the magazine sector comes when the overall first quarter of 2024 circulation figures indicate a 7.5% year-on-year decline, with newspapers declining in this quarter.
This decline underscores the ongoing economic challenges and shifts in consumer behaviours impacting the media industry.
Consumer magazines
A better performance from this category. The Travel, Tourism & Hospitality sector had four of its five publications increase on the previous quarter.
In a reversal from Q4 2023, Glamour is the star performer in the Women’s General sector. In the Male sector, GQ also showed a good increase on the previous quarter.
The Home sector also saw some good increases, with four members increasing on the previous quarter.
Bruidsgids is a new member in the Women’s Special sector.
| Arts, Culture and Heritage | |||||
| Publication | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| Jewish Life | Mtly | 8,450 | 8,450 | 0.0% | -2.1% |
| Business and News | |||||
| BusinessBrief | AltM | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Financial Mail | Wkly, Fr | 1,254 | 15,447 | 3.7% | 11.2% |
| Forbes Africa | AltM | 4,831 | 11,329 | 7.2% | 15.5% |
| SA Real Estate Investor Magazine | Mtly | 16,415 | 16,415 | Changed Sector | |
| The Big Issue Magazine | Mtly | 12 | 4,936 | -28.3% | -11.9% |
| Conservation and Wildlife | |||||
| African Birdlife | AltM | 1,653 | 7,538 | -1.5% | No Submission |
| Family Interest | |||||
| Huisgenoot | Wkly, Th | 2,422 | 86,931 | 1.1% | -14.5% |
| LIG | 11xA | 0 | 12,617 | 0.1% | -13.5% |
| Plus 50 | 6xA | 615 | 5,745 | 21.9% | 7.7% |
| The Crest | 7xA | 0 | Discontinued | ||
| The Ridge | 8xA | 0 | Discontinued | ||
| You | Wkly, Th | 1,651 | 42,823 | -0.7% | -17.1% |
| Farming | |||||
| Farmer's Weekly | Wkly, Fr | 308 | 5,064 | -13.1% | -20.1% |
| Grond tot Mond | Q | 32,482 | 32,482 | 0.0% | 6.8% |
| Landbouweekblad | Wkly, Th | 259 | 14,243 | -1.4% | 21.1% |
| Marktoe | Mtly | 14,003 | 14,003 | 1.3% | -12.1% |
| Health & Wellbeing | |||||
| Grow to Eat | 3xA | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Home | |||||
| Conde Nast House & Garden | Mtly | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Essential Flavours | 4xA | 6,069 | 6,936 | New Member | |
| Food&Home Magazine | Q | 3,506 | 14,365 | 1.7% | 7.4% |
| Lose It | Q | 120 | 8,813 | No Issue | 21.7% |
| SA Home Owner | 11xA | 5,309 | 16,653 | 3.8% | -15.4% |
| Sarie Kos / Food | Q | 20 | 10,203 | -6.9% | -19.9% |
| The Gardener / Die Tuinier | Mtly | 3,657 | 23,609 | 23.0% | -11.4% |
| Tuis Home | 8xA | 1,921 | 60,299 | 12.7% | -3.2% |
| Visi | 6xA | 715 | 9,622 | -1.5% | -20.5% |
| Leisure | |||||
| Life & Style | 4xA | 0 | Resigned | ||
| Male | |||||
| GQ | 5xA | 2,385 | 3,634 | 21.0% | -33.1% |
| Men's Health | 6xA | 0 | Terminated | ||
| Motoring | |||||
| Car | Mtly | 8,443 | 32,145 | 0.0% | -20.7% |
| Driven Magazine | Mtly | 6,637 | 6,637 | 0.6% | -13.2% |
| Parenting | |||||
| Baba & Kleuter | Q | 569 | 9,782 | No Issue | 6.9% |
| Baby's and Beyond | Q | 7,411 | 9,770 | -0.4% | -0.8% |
| Your Pregnancy and Baby | AltM | 1,965 | 5,206 | 8.5% | -8.1% |
| Sport and Hobby | |||||
| Compleat Golfer | Mtly | 4,159 | 7,556 | -29.9% | -17.4% |
| SA Rugby | Mtly | 2,766 | 5,558 | -27.9% | -41.4% |
| Travel, Tourism & Hospitality | |||||
| Cape Etc | 3xA | 4,810 | 7,536 | No Issue | 3.1% |
| Getaway | Mtly | 2,740 | 12,110 | 1.3% | -10.3% |
| go! Drive & Camp and Weg! Ry & Sleep | AltM | 63 | 22,109 | 10.7% | -12.4% |
| Weg / Go Platteland | Q | 737 | 15,534 | 2.8% | -4.5% |
| Weg/Go | AltM | 1,415 | 42,589 | 10.8% | 5.6% |
| Woman's General | |||||
| BONA Magazine | Mtly | 2,166 | 13,324 | 0.3% | -16.8% |
| Fairlady | AltM | 220 | 25,707 | -1.9% | -11.2% |
| Garden & Home Magazine | Mtly | 3,961 | 13,247 | -6.5% | -12.4% |
| Glamour | Q | 7,523 | 12,688 | 61.2% | -10.6% |
| Kuier | F | 170 | 43,938 | -9.7% | -14.2% |
| Rooi Rose Magazine | Mtly | 7,548 | 29,208 | 0.0% | -1.0% |
| Sarie | AltM | 2,684 | 55,513 | -1.8% | 0.9% |
| True Love | AltM | 337 | 11,186 | -5.5% | 3.5% |
| Women & Home Magazine | Mtly | 4,865 | 22,312 | 0.7% | -23.3% |
| Women's Health | 6xA | 0 | Terminated | ||
| Woman's Special | |||||
| Bruidsgids | Ann | 0 | New Member | ||
B2B magazines
Except for the Agricultural sector, which has three of its five publications showing increases on the previous quarter, the B2B category only had sprinkles of increases, most of which were incremental.
Stockfarm and Veeplaas are standouts in the Agricultural sector and in the B2B category as a whole. MIMS in the Health and Wellbeing sector had big gains.
| Agricultural | |||||
| Publication | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| OVK Nuus/News | 4xA | 4,775 | 4,775 | 1.5% | 0.4% |
| SA Graan / Grain | Mtly | 19,985 | 19,985 | -5.0% | -4.5% |
| Stockfarm | Mtly | 7,621 | 11,495 | 21.3% | 63.4% |
| Veeplaas | Mtly | 7,981 | 12,077 | 39.3% | 58.0% |
| Wineland | Mtly | 3,105 | 3,165 | -0.3% | -1.0% |
| Architecture | |||||
| Floors in Africa | 7xA | 13,774 | 13,774 | Changed Sector | |
| Leading Architect & Design | AltM | 5,052 | 5,100 | -10.6% | -24.6% |
| SA Building Review | Ann | 8,616 | 9,437 | No Issue | 0.3% |
| To Build | 4xA | 8,789 | 9,820 | 0.3% | 0.7% |
| Walls & roofs in Africa | 7xA | 13,774 | 13,774 | Changed Sector | |
| Automotive | |||||
| SA Treads | Q | 5,266 | 5,266 | Changed Sector | |
| Civil Construction | |||||
| Civil Engineering | Mtly | 12,849 | 12,849 | Changed Sector | |
| Construction World | Mtly | 16,941 | 16,941 | -2.4% | 2.6% |
| IMIESA | 11xA | 10,727 | 10,727 | -14.2% | -15.1% |
| Communications | |||||
| SA Profile | Ann | 8,726 | 9,838 | No Issue | 0.7% |
| Service | Q | 4,970 | 4,970 | No Issue | 0.2% |
| Electrical Engineering | |||||
| Electricity & Control | Mtly | 10,571 | 10,571 | -16.0% | -21.3% |
| ESI Africa | Q | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Sparks Electrical News | Mtly | 14,921 | 14,921 | -1.3% | 5.4% |
| Engineering - Other | |||||
| Capital Equipment News | Mtly | 13,679 | 13,679 | -1.0% | 6.7% |
| Dataweek | Mtly | 2,855 | 2,855 | 2.5% | 2.0% |
| MechChem Africa | AltM | 10,795 | 10,795 | -0.5% | 5.7% |
| Motion Control | Q | 1,713 | 1,713 | -7.6% | -18.9% |
| Plumbing Africa | Mtly | 10,911 | 10,955 | -16.9% | -2.2% |
| Refrigeration and Airconditioning | Mtly | 6,176 | 6,183 | -22.8% | -11.0% |
| SA Instrumentation & Control | Mtly | 4,033 | 4,033 | -0.3% | -8.6% |
| Water & Sanitation Africa | AltM | 8,679 | 8,679 | No Issue | 8.6% |
| Health and Wellbeing | |||||
| Fire Protection | Q | 0 | 281 | Changed Sector | |
| Hi-Tech Security Solutions | 8xA | 3,938 | 3,938 | 1.3% | -7.9% |
| Medical Chronicle | 11xA | 25,049 | 25,049 | -10.0% | -8.9% |
| MIMS | Mtly | 413 | 3,387 | 126.6% | -8.7% |
| Modern Medicine Magazine | AltM | 3,249 | 3,713 | -7.5% | -2.6% |
| South African Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Review | 11xA | 2,621 | 2,625 | -11.9% | -10.2% |
| The Specialist Forum Journal | 11xA | 19,260 | 19,260 | -18.4% | 65.4% |
| Hospitality, Catering and Tourism | |||||
| Meetings | AltM | 0 | Resigned | ||
| Industry | |||||
| Analytical Reporter | AltM | 4,209 | 4,209 | -16.6% | -23.8% |
| Cold Link Africa | AltM | 2,623 | 2,624 | -27.4% | -36.0% |
| Free State Business | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Lighting in Design | Q | 7,809 | 7,809 | -0.2% | 5.5% |
| Limpopo Business | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Mpumalanga Business | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Opportunity (Exploring Business Prospects in SA | Q | 4,949 | 4,949 | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Resource | Q | 0 | Changed Publisher | ||
| South African Business | 2xA | 0 | No Issue | ||
| South African Food Review | 11xA | 3,397 | 3,416 | -10.8% | -8.9% |
| The Journal of African Business | Q | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Western Cape Business | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Information and Computer Technology | |||||
| Brainstorm | 11xA | 3,570 | 7,598 | -7.9% | -17.7% |
| Management | |||||
| African Decisions | Q | 10,929 | 12,958 | 1.1% | 10.1% |
| Black Business Quarterly | Q | 33,156 | 33,307 | -6.5% | -25.4% |
| Blue Chip | Q | 7,458 | 7,458 | 0.1% | No Issue |
| Business Day Earth | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Business Day Empowerment | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| FA News | AltM | 2,703 | 2,859 | -1.8% | 48.7% |
| Leadership | Mtly | 33,709 | 33,872 | -7.6% | -20.1% |
| Money Marketing | Mtly | 5,874 | 5,874 | -11.8% | -23.5% |
| Public Sector Leaders | 11xA | 9,139 | 9,139 | Changed Sector | |
| South African Business Intergrator | 2xA | 8,762 | 9,818 | 1.0% | -0.7% |
| Top Women Leader | 11xA | 11,809 | 11,809 | Changed Sector | |
| Mining & Quarrying | |||||
| African Mines Handbook | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| African Mining Inc. Mining Mirror | 11xA | 20,700 | 20,749 | -26.1% | -1.2% |
| Earthbroker | Mtly | 5,382 | 5,382 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Engineering News & Mining Weekly | Wkly, Fr | 11,712 | 14,316 | -2.9% | 12.7% |
| Inside Mining | Q | 0 | Discontinued | ||
| Mining Review Africa | 11xA | 4,788 | 4,788 | -0.6% | No Issue |
| Modern Mining | Mtly | 10,696 | 10,696 | -26.4% | -23.5% |
| Modern Quarrying | Q | 7,192 | 7,192 | 2.1% | 5.7% |
| Retail | |||||
| DIY And Industrial Trade News | Mtly | 6,734 | 6,734 | -24.8% | -33.4% |
| Pharmacy Magazine (former Frontshop | Mtly | 15,803 | 15,803 | -15.0% | -5.5% |
| Supermarket & Retailer | Mtly | 17,327 | 17,327 | Changed Sector | |
| Transport and Logistics | |||||
| Freight News Features | Mtly | 5,613 | 5,810 | -4.7% | -2.4% |
Custom magazines
Only one sector had increases and no decreases on the previous quarters, and that was the Youth sector. In the Male sector, Man continued its good run from Q4 2023. Under Industry-specific, Sea Rescue had a double figure increase on the previous quarter.
Sectors that showed only decreases on the previous quarter include Health & Wellbeing, In-flight, Leisure, Retail, Sport & Hobby and Women’s General. Professional had a changed sector and no result.
| Farming | |||||
| Publication | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| Dairy Mail, The | Mtly | 1,377 | 1,377 | 0.3% | 13.7% |
| Wolboer / Wool Farmer | AltM | 1,470 | 1,470 | Changed Sector | |
| Health & Wellbeing | |||||
| SA Pharmaceutical Journal | 10xA | 0 | No Issue | ||
| South African Medical Journal | Mtly | 8,237 | 8,404 | -5.2% | -4.7% |
| Home | |||||
| Living Space | Mtly | 208 | 34,574 | -6.3% | -10.3% |
| My Kitchen | Mtly | 400 | 87,851 | 3.0% | 14.1% |
| Industry Specific | |||||
| J S E | Q | 13,530 | 14,872 | 2.9% | 2.8% |
| Sea Rescue | 3xA | 20,402 | 20,402 | 33.0% | No Issue |
| Servamus | Mtly | 51 | 6,594 | -4.5% | -13.3% |
| The Journal of the SAIMM | Mtly | 2,054 | 2,054 | Changed Sector | |
| In-flight | |||||
| In Flight Magazine | Mtly | 38,655 | 38,655 | -7.2% | 10.9% |
| Leisure | |||||
| Private Edition | Q | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Taste | AltM | 4,216 | 32,884 | -4.7% | -4.3% |
| Male | |||||
| Man | Mtly | 500 | 64,702 | 1.5% | 8.2% |
| Tech | Mtly | 200 | 27,777 | -3.8% | -17.3% |
| Professional | |||||
| Accountancy SA | Mtly | 57,611 | 57,611 | Changed Sector | |
| De Rebus | 11xA | 42,148 | 59,710 | ||
| Retail | |||||
| Club Magazine | Mtly | 7,000 | 232,326 | -3.6% | -11.4% |
| Jet Club | 7xA | 1,502 | 263,276 | -5.8% | 0.2% |
| Sport and Hobby | |||||
| Game & Hunt/Wild & Jag | Mtly | 65,507 | 66,683 | -2.0% | -2.6% |
| SoccerClub | Mtly | 633 | 50,989 | -5.9% | 1.3% |
| SportsClub | Mtly | 666 | 99,426 | -3.4% | -3.9% |
| Wildland Magazine | Mtly | 6,789 | 81,664 | Changed Sector | |
| Travel, Tourism & Hospitality | |||||
| Premier | Mtly | 7,746 | 7,746 | -7.8% | -9.0% |
| Rove SA | 4xA | 8,418 | 10,154 | 3.8% | 4.6% |
| Woman's General | |||||
| Balanced Life | Mtly | 300 | 44,215 | -0.7% | -11.5% |
| Youth | |||||
| ClubX | Mtly | 433 | 108,017 | 3.1% | -1.0% |
| Kids Super Club | Mtly | 490 | 69,341 | 0.1% | -5.7% |
Free magazines
In Q3 and Q4 2023 this category had good results, but while results were not bad this quarter, only three of the nine publications had increases on the previous quarter.
| Publication | Frequency | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| Botswana Advertiser | F | 99,965 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Get It (Ballito to Umhlanga | Mtly | 12,237 | -0.5% | 2.3% |
| Get It (Bloemfontein | Mtly | 6,223 | -9.7% | -9.7% |
| Get It (Highway | Mtly | 11,841 | -0.3% | 0.5% |
| Get It (Jo'burg South | Mtly | 14,750 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Get It (Jo'burg West | Mtly | 13,832 | 0.2% | -4.6% |
| Get It (Lowveld | Mtly | 6,400 | 3.2% | 3.2% |
| Get It (Northern Suburbs Joburg | Mtly | 14,807 | 0.2% | 0.0% |
| Get It (Pretoria | Mtly | 14,489 | -1.1% | -1.3% |
