The Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa (ABC) circulation figures for Q1 2025 show that the resilience shown by the Magazine category in 2024 is continuing into 2025.
The ABC Q1 2025 circulation figures for magazines have been released. Image by Lesley Svenson © Bizcommunity
Once again, custom magazines led the way in the first quarter of 2025, with some consumer and B2B magazine sectors showing strong growth.
Consumer magazines
There are six new members in the consumer magazine category.
Six magazines had increases on the previous quarter and the prior year, with two of these with double-figure increases.
The women’s general sector fared well with six out of 10 of its magazines up on the previous quarter, while the Travel, Tourism & Hospitality sector’s six titles all showed an increase on the previous quarter.
For the farming interest, male and motoring sectors the news was not good, with only decreases on the previous quarter and prior year.
This is in strong contrast with the Q4 2024 for the farming interest sector, when it showed good increases on the previous quarter
Arts, Culture and HeritagePublicationFrequencyFree circulationTotal circulation% change quarter% change yearJewish LifeMtly8,4508,4500%0%Business and NewsBusinessBriefAltM1,73430,162-4.5%Changed SectorFast CompanyQ0New MemberFinancial MailWkly, Th2,85517,854-1.0%15.6%Forbes AfricaAltM4,80711,6566.2%2.9%SA Real Estate Investor MagazineMtly15,35415,354-2.4%-6.5%The Big Issue Magazine11xA1104,704-9.6%-4.7%CommunicationsThe Little issueQ0New MemberConservation and WildlifeAfrican BirdlifeAltM2,8268,8248.6%17.1%Family InterestHuisgenootWkly, Th74072,683-2.4%-16.4%LIGQ0ResignedPlus 506xA7692,568-42.3%-55.3%YouWkly, Th45734,086-0.7%-20.4%FarmingAGRIFOODSAAltM7,8257,825New MemberFarmer’s WeeklyWkly, Fr6264,935-10.8%-2.5%Grond tot MondQ17,59117,591-32.1%-45.8%LandbouweekbladF012,3781.1%-13.1%MarktoeMtly18,72418,72440.5%33.7%HomeConde Nast House & Garden6xA0No IssueEssential FlavoursQ6,9158,31013.1%19.8%Food&Home MagazineQ5,28714,675No Issue2.2%Lose It6xA0No IssueSA Home Owner11xA2,19415,2583.2%-8.4%Sarie Kos / FoodQ1009,574-11.9%-6.2%The Gardener / Die TuinierMtly7,03632,88463.1%31.5%Tuis Home8xA54652,247-5.6%-13.4%Visi6xA3359,541-0.3%-0.8%LeisureYourLuxury AfricaMtly19,64919,6490%New MemberMaleGQ6xA0No IssueMen’s HealthAltM4,7559,539-0.6%New MemberMotoringCarMtly1,82123,897-8.5%-25.7%Driven MagazineMtly6,1246,124-5.9%-7.7%ParentingBaba & KleuterQ3510,594No Issue8.3%Baby’s and BeyondQ9,61913,7803.9%41.0%Your Pregnancy and BabyAltM1,0924,729-1.5%-9.2%Sport and HobbyCompleat GolferMtly0No IssueSA RugbyMtly1,1112,7710.9%-50.1%Travel, Tourism & HospitalityCape Etc3xA5,2377,3431.8%-2.6%GetawayMtly8597,8242.4%-35.4%go! Drive & Camp and Weg! Ry & SleepAltM021,78410.6%-1.5%Inbound SAMtly9,9429,9420.2%New MemberWeg / Go PlattelandQ18014,5140.7%-6.6%Weg/GoAltM31636,3182.0%-14.7%Woman’s GeneralBONA MagazineMtly73910,8424.1%-18.6%FairladyAltM40524,8534.2%-3.3%Garden & Home MagazineMtly1,89910,7772.4%-18.6%Glamour6xA0No IssueKuierF17035,732-16.5%-18.7%Rooi Rose MagazineMtly3,02224,8340.4%-15.0%SarieAltM1,61844,908-17.5%-19.1%True LoveQ1007,362-29.1%-34.2%Women & Home MagazineMtly2,85619,4640.4%-12.8%Women’s HealthAltM4,04910,0507.9%New MemberWoman’s SpecialBruidsgidsAnn0Terminated
B2B magazines
A mixture of results with some sectors in this category showing good increases, while others failed to perform.
Engineering – other had six of its 11 publications increase on the previous quarter.
The Health & Wellbeing sector had seven publications and four publications increase on the previous quarter and five increase on the prior year, respectively.
Analytical Reporter had particularly good increases on the previous quarter.
The management sector had eight out of 12 magazines increase on the previous quarter, mining & quarrying had four of its seven publications increase on the previous quarter and three on the prior year.
The retail sector had two of its three publications increase on the previous quarter and year.
AgriculturalPublicationFrequencyFree circulationTotal circulation% change quarter% change yearOVK Nuus/News4xA4,7704,770-0.1%-0.1%SA Graan / GrainMtly19,83119,831-1.8%-0.8%StockfarmMtly0ResignedVeeplaasMtly0ResignedWinelandMtly3,0993,1610.3%-0.1%ArchitectureFloors in Africa7xA12,06512,065-3.5%-12.4%Leading Architect & Design6xA5,2695,2931.1%3.8%SA Building ReviewAnn9,3869,570No Issue1.4%To Build4xA7,7989,8550.1%0.4%Walls & Roofs in Africa7xA12,06512,065-3.5%-12.4%AutomotiveSA TreadsQ4,4884,4888.2%18.4%Civil ConstructionCivil EngineeringMtly14,27314,280-5.8%11.1%Construction WorldMtly16,13516,135-0.2%-4.8%IMIESA10xA10,68410,684-4.0%-0.4%CommunicationsSA ProfileAnn9,7369,845No Issue0.1%ServiceQ4,9654,9650%-0.1%Electrical EngineeringElectricity & ControlMtly9,2719,271-4.2%-12.3%ESI Africa2xA0No IssueNo IssueSparks Electrical NewsMtly14,56414,5644.7%-2.4%Engineering – OtherCapital Equipment NewsMtly12,60312,6032.3%-7.9%DataweekMtly2,9382,938-1.0%2.9%MechChem AfricaAltM10,63610,6360.4%-1.5%Motion ControlQ1,6791,6790.3%-2.0%Plumbing AfricaMtly10,93010,957-10.3%0.4%Refrigeration and AirconditioningMtly6,4316,439-9.6%4.2%SA Instrumentation & ControlMtly3,8203,8200.3%-5.3%Water & Sanitation Africa6xA7,9437,9430.9%-8.5%Health and WellbeingFire ProtectionQ1,8461,846-4.0%556.9%Medical Chronicle11xA34,90734,9074.4%39.4%MIMSMtly0ResignedModern Medicine Magazine6xA3,0303,455-5.0%-6.9%SMART Security Solutions8xA4,1554,1550.4%5.5%South African Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Review11xA2,8302,8321.5%7.9%The Specialist Forum Journal11xA29,74429,7443.5%54.4%IndustryAnalytical Reporter6xA4,7844,784153.0%13.7%Cold Link Africa8xA3,8173,820-3.5%-2.9%Gauteng CompaniesAnn0No IssueLighting in DesignQ0Ceased PublishingLimpopo BusinessAnn0No IssueMpumalanga BusinessAnn0No IssueNorth West BusinessAnn0No IssueOpportunity (Exploring Business Prospects in SAQ4,9574,957-0.1%0.2%South African Business2xA0No IssueSouth African Food Review11xA3,2673,2760%-4.1%The Journal of African BusinessQ4,9634,9630%No IssueWestern Cape BusinessAnn0No IssueInformation and Computer TechnologyBrainstorm11xA4,0287,114-13.1%-6.4%ManagementAfrican DecisionsQ0ResignedNo IssueBlack Business QuarterlyQ33,41833,5001.0%0.6%Blue ChipQ7,4597,459-11.7%0%ESG – Future of SustainabiltyAnn14,26214,262391.6%No IssueFA NewsAltM2,7422,8850.8%0.9%LeadershipMtly34,36934,563-0.6%2.1%Money MarketingMtly5,8695,8690.5%-0.1%Public Sector LeadersMtly12,96912,9692.8%41.9%South African Business IntergratorQ9,8079,8700.1%0.5%Top 500 : South Africa’s Best Managed CompaniesAnn14,21314,21388.4%No IssueTop Women LeaderAnn0Changed SectorTop Women LeadersAnn15,01515,01540.7%27.1%Mining & QuarryingAfrican Mines HandbookAnn0No IssueAfrican Mining Inc. Mining MirrorMtly23,32523,373-0.6%12.9%EarthbrokerMtly5,3825,3820%0%Engineering News & Mining WeeklyWkly, Fr16,36618,5915.7%29.9%Mining Review Africa6xA4,6514,6511.6%-2.9%Modern MiningMtly10,42410,4247.2%-2.5%Modern QuarryingQ7,2547,2543.4%0.9%RetailDIY And Industrial Trade NewsMtly8,4128,4128.7%24.9%Pharmacy Magazine (former Frontshop11xA15,27415,274-23.3%-3.3%Supermarket & RetailerMtly21,56121,5614.1%24.4%Transport and LogisticsFreight News FeaturesMtly5,1605,3223.0%-8.4%
Custom magazines
Most of the sectors in the custom magazine category had some positive movements, building on the gains of Q3 and Q4 2024.
The health & wellbeing sector had a good showing with both its publications increasing on the previous quarter.
Sectors where publications increased on the previous quarter and on the prior year include home, male, women’s general, youth, and retail.
In the in-flight sector, In-flight Magazine had big increases on the previous quarter and prior year.
Less positive are the industry-specific and professional sectors.
The farming sector saw both its publications terminated.
FarmingPublicationFrequencyFree circulationTotal circulation% change quarter% change yearDairy Mail, TheMtly0TerminatedWolboer / Wool FarmerAltM0TerminatedHealth & WellbeingSA Pharmaceutical Journal10xA6,9256,9254.3%No IssueSouth African Medical JournalMtly11,72811,7281.1%39.6%HomeLiving SpaceMtly2,20642,1014.6%21.8%My KitchenMtly4,843112,88511.4%28.5%Industry SpecificJ S EQ13,08214,8230.5%-0.3%Sea Rescue3xA0No IssueServamusMtly665,614-3.5%-14.9%The Journal of the SAIMMMtly2,1462,1460.3%4.5%In-flightIn Flight MagazineMtly76,87676,87650.2%98.9%LeisurePrivate Edition4xA10,17510,1752.1%No IssueTaste6xA0DiscontinuedMaleManMtly3,30085,57111.6%32.3%TechMtly016,6151.5%-40.2%ProfessionalAccountancy SAMtly64,70864,708-2.4%12.3%De Rebus11xA59,06659,068-0.4%-1.1%RetailClub MagazineMtly6,936286,39411.8%23.3%Jet Club7xA3,000282,0912.4%7.1%Sport and HobbyGame & Hunt/Wild & JagMtly65,11265,766-0.4%-1.4%SoccerClubMtly4,79969,92415.2%37.1%SportsClubMtly2,985116,7609.0%17.4%Wildland MagazineMtly72,35972,359-16.5%-11.4%Travel, Tourism & HospitalityPremierMtly7,1467,146-8.8%-7.7%Rove SAQ12,40413,1505.9%29.5%Woman’s GeneralBalanced LifeMtly3,55655,98210.5%26.6%YouthClubXMtly6,000126,7029.1%17.3%Kids Super ClubMtly3,10592,8479.3%33.9%
Free magazines
There was not much good news for free magazines. Only three publications had increases on the previous quarter and one increase on the prior year.
PublicationFrequencyTotal circulation% change quarter% change yearBotswana AdvertiserF99,9650%0%Get It (Ballito to UmhlangaMtly11,9800%-2.1%Get It (Northern Suburbs JoburgMtly11,8500.4%-20.0%Get It (HighwayMtly11,845-0.2%0%Get It (PretoriaMtly11,8371.6%-18.3%Get It (Jo’burg SouthMtly11,7500.4%-20.3%Get It (Jo’burg WestMtly10,568-4.4%-23.6%Get It (BloemfonteinMtly6,8900%10.7%Get It (LowveldMtly6,4000%0%
Tables by Andre Rademan © Bizcommunity
