The ABC has released the final quarter’s circulation for 2024, with Custom magazines leading the way for another good showing by the Magazine category.
The ABC Q4 2024 figures have been released. Image by Lesley Svenson, Bizcommunity
The Magazine category has shown some excellence resilience this year, finding some good momentum from the first quarter of 2024 when it had a 7.6% growth.
Q2 2024 circulation for magazines also showed upward movement with quarter-over-quarter and year-over-year increases.
While Q3, as in Q2, was led by a good showing in the Consumer and B2B categories, Custom magazines have come to the fore in Q4.
However, in all quarters Free magazines have continued its drip-drip decline.
In Q4 the ABC has introduced a new category in magazines, grassroots magazines.
Consumer magazines
The average total was a decrease of 4.5% on the previous quarter and an increase of 2.1% on the prior year.
Despite the decline on the previous quarter there were some highlights in the category.
The only publication in the conservation & Wildlife category, African Birdlife had good increases on the previous quarter and prior year.
The Farming category also had good increases for three of its four publications with Grond tot Mond with double-figure increases of almost 12% on the previous quarter.
The Home sector had five publications increase on the previous quarter and three on the prior year.
The biggest increase – and the only double-figure increase in the sector – was 12.8% on the previous quarter from Conde Nast Home & Garden.
The only double-figure decrease and the biggest decrease in this sector is Gardener / Tuiner with a decline of 29% on the previous quarter.
The Women’s General sector has four publications out of the nine showing an increase on the previous quarter.
Kuier was the best-performing publication on the previous quarter and Glamour had an increase of 48.7% on the prior year. It is the only publication to show an increase on the prior year.
Five of the publications saw a decrease, with a double figure decrease for Fair Lady.
There was no good news for the Family Interest category with three of the four publications showing decreases and one publication, Lig, having resigned.
The Leisure sector had a new member and the Male sector had two new members, Men’s Health and Women’s Health.
| Arts, Culture and Heritage | |||||
| Publication | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| Jewish Life | Mtly | 8,450 | 8,450 | 0.3% | 0.0% |
| Val de Vie Magazine | 2xA | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Business and News | |||||
| BusinessBrief | AltM | 1,712 | 31,586 | 0.0% | Changed Sector |
| Fast Company | Q | 885 | 1,407 | New Member | |
| Financial Mail | Wkly, Th | 2,845 | 18,030 | -0.1% | 21.1% |
| Forbes Africa | AltM | 4,686 | 10,976 | 0.9% | 3.9% |
| SA Real Estate Investor Magazine | Mtly | 15,732 | 15,732 | -2.6% | Changed Sector |
| The Big Issue Magazine | 11xA | 337 | 5,204 | 18.9% | -24.4% |
| Communications | |||||
| The Little issue | Q | 0 | New Member | ||
| Conservation and Wildlife | |||||
| African Birdlife | AltM | 1,917 | 8,124 | 8.5% | 6.2% |
| Family Interest | |||||
| Huisgenoot | Wkly, Th | 893 | 74,455 | -2.1% | -13.4% |
| LIG | Q | 0 | Resigned | ||
| Plus 50 | 6xA | 0 | 4,454 | -0.9% | -5.5% |
| You | Wkly, Th | 502 | 34,337 | -3.6% | -20.4% |
| Farming | |||||
| Farmer’s Weekly | Wkly, Fr | 462 | 5,533 | 1.4% | -5.0% |
| Grond tot Mond | Q | 25,894 | 25,894 | 11.9% | -20.2% |
| Landbouweekblad | F | 135 | 12,244 | -7.9% | -15.2% |
| Marktoe | Mtly | 13,325 | 13,325 | 0.2% | -3.6% |
| Health & Wellbeing | |||||
| Grow to Eat | 3xA | 0 | Changed Frequency | ||
| Home | |||||
| Conde Nast House & Garden | 6xA | 4,722 | 10,569 | 12.8% | 19.0% |
| Essential Flavours | Q | 6,259 | 7,345 | 6.4% | New Member |
| Food&Home Magazine | Q | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Lose It | 6xA | 0 | 5,854 | No Issue | |
| SA Home Owner | 11xA | 3,884 | 14,788 | 4.1% | -7.8% |
| Sarie Kos / Food | Q | 700 | 10,868 | 9.0% | -0.9% |
| The Gardener / Die Tuinier | Mtly | 2,172 | 20,162 | -29.0% | 5.1% |
| Tuis Home | 8xA | 959 | 55,345 | -2.2% | 3.5% |
| Visi | 6xA | 231 | 9,568 | 0.6% | -2.1% |
| Leisure | |||||
| YourLuxury Africa | Mtly | 19,652 | 19,652 | 0.1% | New Member |
| Male | |||||
| GQ | 6xA | 3,249 | 4,315 | 2.2% | 43.7% |
| Men’s Health | AltM | 5,236 | 9,597 | New Member | |
| Women’s Health | AltM | 4,636 | 9,313 | New Member | |
| Motoring | |||||
| Car | Mtly | 6,205 | 26,120 | -16.1% | -18.7% |
| Driven Magazine | Mtly | 6,506 | 6,506 | -2.4% | -1.4% |
| Parenting | |||||
| Baba & Kleuter | Q | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Baby’s and Beyond | Q | 12,949 | 13,265 | -0.1% | 35.3% |
| Your Pregnancy and Baby | AltM | 1,345 | 4,800 | -9.5% | 0.1% |
| Sport and Hobby | |||||
| Compleat Golfer | Mtly | 3,608 | 6,365 | 4.7% | -41.0% |
| SA Rugby | Mtly | 1,077 | 2,747 | -39.6% | -64.4% |
| Travel, Tourism & Hospitality | |||||
| Cape Etc | 3xA | 4,850 | 7,213 | -4.6% | No Issue |
| Getaway | Mtly | 1,028 | 7,641 | -25.4% | -36.1% |
| go! Drive & Camp and Weg! Ry & Sleep | AltM | 0 | 19,695 | -8.7% | -1.4% |
| Inbound SA | Mtly | 9,926 | 9,926 | 0.0% | New Member |
| Weg / Go Platteland | Q | 280 | 14,415 | 3.6% | -4.6% |
| Weg/Go | AltM | 100 | 35,597 | -9.0% | -7.4% |
| Woman’s General | |||||
| BONA Magazine | Mtly | 2,980 | 10,419 | 1.8% | -21.6% |
| Fairlady | AltM | 580 | 23,850 | -11.7% | -9.0% |
| Garden & Home Magazine | Mtly | 900 | 10,527 | 7.1% | -25.7% |
| Glamour | 6xA | 8,359 | 11,706 | -4.7% | 48.7% |
| Kuier | F | 123 | 42,772 | 7.5% | -12.1% |
| Rooi Rose Magazine | Mtly | 5,392 | 24,729 | 0.5% | -15.3% |
| Sarie | AltM | 1,565 | 54,415 | -3.9% | -3.7% |
| True Love | Q | 1,850 | 10,389 | -5.7% | -12.2% |
| Women & Home Magazine | Mtly | 3,539 | 19,389 | -0.7% | -12.5% |
| Woman’s Special | |||||
| Wedding Guide | Ann | 0 | Terminated | ||
| Total | 202,637 | 809,613 | -4.5% | 2.1% |
B2B magazines
A 50:50 affair for B2B publications with a decrease of 2.6% overall for the category on the previous quarter and an increase of 11.7% for the category on the prior year.
The Management category saw seven of its 11 publications increase on the previous quarter with three publications showing massive increases due to changing sectors.
The Hospitality sector also had good prior year increases with half of its 14 publications posting positive figures on the prior year. However, the category did not have any publications with increases on the previous quarter.
Sectors with publications with increases include Civil Construction, Architecture, Engineering Other, Health & Wellbeing and Retail.
Retail continued its good run from Q3 while the Health & Wellbeing sector dropped from seven publications up on the previous quarter in Q3 to only three up on the previous quarter.
| Agricultural | |||||
| Publication | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| OVK Nuus/News | 4xA | 4,775 | 4,775 | 0.0% | 1.5% |
| SA Graan / Grain | Mtly | 20,203 | 20,203 | 0.3% | -4.0% |
| Stockfarm | Mtly | 0 | Resigned | ||
| Veeplaas | Mtly | 0 | Resigned | ||
| Wineland | Mtly | 3,100 | 3,151 | -0.1% | -0.7% |
| Architecture | |||||
| Floors in Africa | 7xA | 12,503 | 12,503 | -2.3% | Changed Sector |
| Leading Architect & Design | 6xA | 5,205 | 5,234 | 0.5% | -8.2% |
| To Build | 4xA | 8,101 | 9,850 | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Walls & Roofs in Africa | 7xA | 12,503 | 12,503 | -2.3% | Changed Sector |
| Automotive | |||||
| SA Treads | Q | 4,549 | 4,549 | 21.8% | Changed Sector |
| Civil Construction | |||||
| Civil Engineering | Mtly | 15,151 | 15,158 | 2.6% | Changed Sector |
| Construction World | Mtly | 16,162 | 16,162 | -5.2% | -6.9% |
| IMIESA | 10xA | 11,132 | 11,132 | 3.1% | -10.9% |
| Spec Handbooks | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Communications | |||||
| Future SA | 4xA | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Service | Q | 4,963 | 4,963 | 0.0% | No Issue |
| Electrical Engineering | |||||
| Electricity & Control | Mtly | 9,678 | 9,678 | -8.0% | -23.1% |
| ESI Africa | 2xA | 4,530 | 4,530 | No Issue | -6.8% |
| Sparks Electrical News | Mtly | 13,906 | 13,906 | -6.3% | -8.0% |
| Engineering – Other | |||||
| Capital Equipment News | Mtly | 12,322 | 12,322 | -8.6% | -10.8% |
| Dataweek | Mtly | 2,969 | 2,969 | 6.0% | 6.6% |
| Go2Energy Technical Journal | 2xA | 0 | No Issue | Changed Sector | |
| MechChem Africa | AltM | 10,593 | 10,593 | -4.9% | -2.3% |
| Motion Control | Q | 1,674 | 1,674 | -0.6% | -9.7% |
| Plumbing Africa | Mtly | 12,208 | 12,237 | 0.4% | -7.1% |
| Refrigeration and Airconditioning | Mtly | 7,117 | 7,124 | 0.3% | -11.1% |
| SA Instrumentation & Control | Mtly | 3,810 | 3,810 | -4.0% | -5.8% |
| Water & Sanitation Africa | 6xA | 7,872 | 7,872 | -2.0% | No Issue |
| Health and Wellbeing | |||||
| Fire Protection | Q | 1,923 | 1,923 | 126.2% | Changed Sector |
| Medical Chronicle | 11xA | 33,436 | 33,436 | 3.3% | 20.2% |
| MIMS | Mtly | 0 | Resigned | ||
| Modern Medicine Magazine | 6xA | 3,194 | 3,637 | -14.7% | -9.4% |
| SMART Security Solutions | 8xA | 4,138 | 4,138 | 3.4% | 6.5% |
| South African Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Review | 11xA | 2,788 | 2,790 | -4.1% | -6.3% |
| The Specialist Forum Journal | 11xA | 28,728 | 28,728 | -0.1% | 21.7% |
| Hospitality, Catering and Tourism | |||||
| Meetings | AltM | 0 | Resigned | ||
| Industry | |||||
| Analytical Reporter | 6xA | 1,891 | 1,891 | -61.4% | -62.5% |
| Cold Link Africa | 8xA | 3,958 | 3,961 | -2.5% | 9.5% |
| Free State Business | Ann | 0 | No Issue | No Issue | |
| Gauteng Companies | Ann | 4,965 | 4,965 | No Issue | No Issue |
| Lighting in Design | Q | 0 | Ceased Publishing | ||
| Limpopo Business | Ann | 4,961 | 4,961 | No Issue | 0.4% |
| Mpumalanga Business | Ann | 4,963 | 4,963 | No Issue | 0.2% |
| North West Business | Ann | 4,967 | 4,967 | No Issue | No Issue |
| Opportunity (Exploring Business Prospects in SA | Q | 4,960 | 4,960 | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| South African Business | 2xA | 7,468 | 7,468 | No Issue | 0.5% |
| South African Food Review | 11xA | 3,266 | 3,275 | -1.9% | -14.5% |
| The Journal of African Business | Q | 4,965 | 4,965 | 0.0% | 0.3% |
| Western Cape Business | Ann | 4,958 | 4,958 | No Issue | 0.4% |
| Information and Computer Technology | |||||
| Brainstorm | 11xA | 3,974 | 8,184 | -0.7% | -0.8% |
| Management | |||||
| African Decisions | Q | 0 | No Submission | ||
| Black Business Quarterly | Q | 33,073 | 33,171 | 6.5% | -6.9% |
| Blue Chip | Q | 8,450 | 8,450 | 13.3% | 13.5% |
| ESG – Future of Sustainabilty | Ann | 2,901 | 2,901 | 202.2% | Changed Sector |
| FA News | AltM | 2,721 | 2,862 | -0.9% | -1.7% |
| Leadership | Mtly | 34,545 | 34,761 | 6.3% | -5.2% |
| Money Marketing | Mtly | 5,840 | 5,840 | -1.0% | -12.3% |
| Public Sector Leaders | Mtly | 12,610 | 12,610 | 645.7% | Changed Sector |
| South African Business Intergrator | Q | 9,814 | 9,856 | 0.2% | 1.4% |
| Top 500 : South Africa’s Best Managed Companies | Ann | 7,544 | 7,544 | 1494.9% | Changed Sector |
| Top Women Leaders | Ann | 10,671 | 10,671 | No Issue | Changed Sector |
| Mining & Quarrying | |||||
| African Mining Inc. Mining Mirror | Mtly | 23,509 | 23,556 | -4.8% | -16.1% |
| Earthbroker | Mtly | 5,382 | 5,382 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Engineering News & Mining Weekly | Wkly, Fr | 15,277 | 17,587 | 3.2% | 19.3% |
| Mining Review Africa | 6xA | 4,579 | 4,579 | -4.4% | -4.9% |
| Modern Mining | Mtly | 9,720 | 9,720 | -5.9% | -33.1% |
| Modern Quarrying | Q | 7,015 | 7,015 | -3.4% | -0.4% |
| Retail | |||||
| DIY And Industrial Trade News | Mtly | 7,742 | 7,742 | -10.4% | -13.5% |
| Pharmacy Magazine (former Frontshop | 11xA | 19,926 | 19,926 | 2.0% | 7.1% |
| Supermarket & Retailer | Mtly | 20,718 | 20,718 | 11.8% | Changed Sector |
| Transport and Logistics | |||||
| Freight News Features | Mtly | 5,003 | 5,169 | 1.9% | -15.2% |
| Total | 581,569 | 591,128 | -2.6% | 11.7% |
Custom magazines
This category continued its good performance in Q3 in this quarter.
The category stands out this quarter with some good increases on the previous quarter and the prior year, which shows in its average total figures of a 7% increase on the previous quarter and a 20% increase on the prior year.
Nearly all sectors had some good news, with the Home, Male, Women’s General and Youth sectors all showing increases on the previous quarter and the prior year.
Retail and Sport and Hobby also had good increases.
Stand-out increases on the previous quarter include Kids Super Club, SportsClub, SoccerClub, Jet Club, Man and My Kitchen.
| Farming | |||||
| Publication | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| Dairy Mail, The | Mtly | 0 | No Submission | ||
| Wolboer / Wool Farmer | AltM | 0 | No Submission | Changed Sector | |
| Health & Wellbeing | |||||
| SA Pharmaceutical Journal | 10xA | 6,642 | 6,642 | 4.1% | -2.3% |
| South African Medical Journal | Mtly | 11,604 | 11,604 | -3.5% | 30.9% |
| Home | |||||
| Living Space | Mtly | 2,359 | 40,257 | 6.4% | 9.1% |
| My Kitchen | Mtly | 3,895 | 101,343 | 14.9% | 18.8% |
| Industry Specific | |||||
| J S E | Q | 12,992 | 14,742 | 0.1% | 2.0% |
| Sea Rescue | 3xA | 18,000 | 18,000 | -8.1% | 17.3% |
| Servamus | Mtly | 64 | 5,819 | -4.4% | -15.7% |
| The Journal of the SAIMM | Mtly | 2,139 | 2,139 | 3.5% | Changed Sector |
| In-flight | |||||
| In Flight Magazine | Mtly | 51,182 | 51,182 | -7.3% | 22.9% |
| Leisure | |||||
| Private Edition | 4xA | 9,965 | 9,965 | -0.2% | 6.2% |
| Taste | 6xA | 0 | Discontinued | ||
| Male | |||||
| Man | Mtly | 3,433 | 76,656 | 12.1% | 20.2% |
| Tech | Mtly | 0 | 16,372 | -34.6% | -43.3% |
| Professional | |||||
| Accountancy SA | Mtly | 66,287 | 66,287 | -1.5% | Changed Sector |
| De Rebus | 11xA | 41,718 | 59,286 | -0.7% | Changed Sector |
| Retail | |||||
| Club Magazine | Mtly | 6,978 | 256,256 | 8.7% | 6.3% |
| Jet Club | 7xA | 8,505 | 275,430 | 13.8% | -1.5% |
| Sport and Hobby | |||||
| Game & Hunt/Wild & Jag | Mtly | 65,160 | 66,020 | -1.1% | -2.9% |
| SoccerClub | Mtly | 4,330 | 60,685 | 16.6% | 11.9% |
| SportsClub | Mtly | 2,961 | 107,159 | 11.5% | 4.2% |
| Wildland Magazine | Mtly | 86,693 | 86,693 | 1.4% | Changed Sector |
| Travel, Tourism & Hospitality | |||||
| Premier | Mtly | 7,834 | 7,834 | 1.7% | -6.8% |
| Rove SA | Q | 12,038 | 12,421 | -4.0% | 27.0% |
| Woman’s General | |||||
| Balanced Life | Mtly | 3,506 | 50,650 | 9.8% | 13.7% |
| Youth | |||||
| ClubX | Mtly | 6,166 | 116,102 | 8.9% | 10.8% |
| Kids Super Club | Mtly | 3,105 | 84,949 | 12.8% | 22.7% |
| Total | 437,556 | 1,604,493 | 6.8% | 20.0% |
Free magazines
There was not much change in this category, but with a very small increase of 0.1% on the previous quarter there was a glimmer of hope.
Q4 saw three publications with increases on the previous quarter, up on the only one in Q3.
The news for Q4 on the prior year was less hopeful with a decrease of over six percent on the prior year.
Four publications, Get It (Jo’burg West), Get It (Jo’burg South), Get It (Pretoria) and Get It (Northern Suburbs Joburg) have decreased on the prior year from 19% to over 20%.
| Publication | Frequency | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| Botswana Advertiser | F | 99,965 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Get It (Ballito to Umhlanga | Mtly | 11,978 | 0.1% | -2.6% |
| Get It (Bloemfontein | Mtly | 6,890 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Get It (Highway | Mtly | 11,866 | 0.2% | -0.1% |
| Get It (Jo’burg South | Mtly | 11,700 | -0.1% | -20.7% |
| Get It (Jo’burg West | Mtly | 11,052 | 1.5% | -19.9% |
| Get It (Lowveld | Mtly | 6,400 | 0.0% | 3.2% |
| Get It (Northern Suburbs Joburg | Mtly | 11,800 | -0.3% | -20.2% |
| Get It (Pretoria | Mtly | 11,646 | -0.2% | -20.5% |
| Total | 183,297 | 0.1% | -6.1% |
Grassroots
This is the first time this category has been included and so there is no data for comparison.
| Publication | Publisher | Frequency | Total circulation |
| Al-Qalam KZN Issue | Al-Qalam | Mtly | 10,000 |
| Al-Qalam National Issue | Al-Qalam | Mtly | 28,000 |
| BT News | BTNEWS | Mtly | 5,000 |
| Dizindaba Iphephandaba lesiXhosa | Dizindaba Media | Wkly, Th | 0 |
| DURBAN NORTH NEWS | Tabloid Media | Wkly, Wed | 32,000 |
| KATHU GAZETTE | Sapphire Dawn Trading 24CC | Wkly, Th | 5,000 |
| LADYSMITH HERALD | Tabloid Media | Wkly, Tue | 32,000 |
| Pondoland Times | Quan Dambuza | Wkly, Fr | 5,000 |
| NEWCASTLE EXPRESS | Tabloid Media | Wkly, Tue | 32,000 |
| Platinum Bushvelder | Platinum Weekly | Wkly, Th | 25,000 |
| Platinum Weekly | Platinum Weekly | Wkly, Th | 25,000 |
| PINETOWN AND HAMMARSDALE IZINDABA | Tabloid Media | Wkly, Th | 32,000 |
| Witzenberg Herald | Witzenberg Herald | Mtly | 3,000 |
| Total | 239,000 |
Tables by Andre Rademan © Bizcommunity
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