ABC Q1 2025: Magazines tenacious as custom magazines lead the way
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.
22 May 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 Heritage | |||||
| Publication | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| Jewish Life | Mtly | 8,450 | 8,450 | 0% | 0% |
| Business and News | |||||
| BusinessBrief | AltM | 1,734 | 30,162 | -4.5% | Changed Sector |
| Fast Company | Q | 0 | New Member | ||
| Financial Mail | Wkly, Th | 2,855 | 17,854 | -1.0% | 15.6% |
| Forbes Africa | AltM | 4,807 | 11,656 | 6.2% | 2.9% |
| SA Real Estate Investor Magazine | Mtly | 15,354 | 15,354 | -2.4% | -6.5% |
| The Big Issue Magazine | 11xA | 110 | 4,704 | -9.6% | -4.7% |
| Communications | |||||
| The Little issue | Q | 0 | New Member | ||
| Conservation and Wildlife | |||||
| African Birdlife | AltM | 2,826 | 8,824 | 8.6% | 17.1% |
| Family Interest | |||||
| Huisgenoot | Wkly, Th | 740 | 72,683 | -2.4% | -16.4% |
| LIG | Q | 0 | Resigned | ||
| Plus 50 | 6xA | 769 | 2,568 | -42.3% | -55.3% |
| You | Wkly, Th | 457 | 34,086 | -0.7% | -20.4% |
| Farming | |||||
| AGRIFOODSA | AltM | 7,825 | 7,825 | New Member | |
| Farmer's Weekly | Wkly, Fr | 626 | 4,935 | -10.8% | -2.5% |
| Grond tot Mond | Q | 17,591 | 17,591 | -32.1% | -45.8% |
| Landbouweekblad | F | 0 | 12,378 | 1.1% | -13.1% |
| Marktoe | Mtly | 18,724 | 18,724 | 40.5% | 33.7% |
| Home | |||||
| Conde Nast House & Garden | 6xA | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Essential Flavours | Q | 6,915 | 8,310 | 13.1% | 19.8% |
| Food&Home Magazine | Q | 5,287 | 14,675 | No Issue | 2.2% |
| Lose It | 6xA | 0 | No Issue | ||
| SA Home Owner | 11xA | 2,194 | 15,258 | 3.2% | -8.4% |
| Sarie Kos / Food | Q | 100 | 9,574 | -11.9% | -6.2% |
| The Gardener / Die Tuinier | Mtly | 7,036 | 32,884 | 63.1% | 31.5% |
| Tuis Home | 8xA | 546 | 52,247 | -5.6% | -13.4% |
| Visi | 6xA | 335 | 9,541 | -0.3% | -0.8% |
| Leisure | |||||
| YourLuxury Africa | Mtly | 19,649 | 19,649 | 0% | New Member |
| Male | |||||
| GQ | 6xA | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Men's Health | AltM | 4,755 | 9,539 | -0.6% | New Member |
| Motoring | |||||
| Car | Mtly | 1,821 | 23,897 | -8.5% | -25.7% |
| Driven Magazine | Mtly | 6,124 | 6,124 | -5.9% | -7.7% |
| Parenting | |||||
| Baba & Kleuter | Q | 35 | 10,594 | No Issue | 8.3% |
| Baby's and Beyond | Q | 9,619 | 13,780 | 3.9% | 41.0% |
| Your Pregnancy and Baby | AltM | 1,092 | 4,729 | -1.5% | -9.2% |
| Sport and Hobby | |||||
| Compleat Golfer | Mtly | 0 | No Issue | ||
| SA Rugby | Mtly | 1,111 | 2,771 | 0.9% | -50.1% |
| Travel, Tourism & Hospitality | |||||
| Cape Etc | 3xA | 5,237 | 7,343 | 1.8% | -2.6% |
| Getaway | Mtly | 859 | 7,824 | 2.4% | -35.4% |
| go! Drive & Camp and Weg! Ry & Sleep | AltM | 0 | 21,784 | 10.6% | -1.5% |
| Inbound SA | Mtly | 9,942 | 9,942 | 0.2% | New Member |
| Weg / Go Platteland | Q | 180 | 14,514 | 0.7% | -6.6% |
| Weg/Go | AltM | 316 | 36,318 | 2.0% | -14.7% |
| Woman's General | |||||
| BONA Magazine | Mtly | 739 | 10,842 | 4.1% | -18.6% |
| Fairlady | AltM | 405 | 24,853 | 4.2% | -3.3% |
| Garden & Home Magazine | Mtly | 1,899 | 10,777 | 2.4% | -18.6% |
| Glamour | 6xA | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Kuier | F | 170 | 35,732 | -16.5% | -18.7% |
| Rooi Rose Magazine | Mtly | 3,022 | 24,834 | 0.4% | -15.0% |
| Sarie | AltM | 1,618 | 44,908 | -17.5% | -19.1% |
| True Love | Q | 100 | 7,362 | -29.1% | -34.2% |
| Women & Home Magazine | Mtly | 2,856 | 19,464 | 0.4% | -12.8% |
| Women's Health | AltM | 4,049 | 10,050 | 7.9% | New Member |
| Woman's Special | |||||
| Bruidsgids | Ann | 0 | Terminated | ||
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.
| Agricultural | |||||
| Publication | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| OVK Nuus/News | 4xA | 4,770 | 4,770 | -0.1% | -0.1% |
| SA Graan / Grain | Mtly | 19,831 | 19,831 | -1.8% | -0.8% |
| Stockfarm | Mtly | 0 | Resigned | ||
| Veeplaas | Mtly | 0 | Resigned | ||
| Wineland | Mtly | 3,099 | 3,161 | 0.3% | -0.1% |
| Architecture | |||||
| Floors in Africa | 7xA | 12,065 | 12,065 | -3.5% | -12.4% |
| Leading Architect & Design | 6xA | 5,269 | 5,293 | 1.1% | 3.8% |
| SA Building Review | Ann | 9,386 | 9,570 | No Issue | 1.4% |
| To Build | 4xA | 7,798 | 9,855 | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Walls & Roofs in Africa | 7xA | 12,065 | 12,065 | -3.5% | -12.4% |
| Automotive | |||||
| SA Treads | Q | 4,488 | 4,488 | 8.2% | 18.4% |
| Civil Construction | |||||
| Civil Engineering | Mtly | 14,273 | 14,280 | -5.8% | 11.1% |
| Construction World | Mtly | 16,135 | 16,135 | -0.2% | -4.8% |
| IMIESA | 10xA | 10,684 | 10,684 | -4.0% | -0.4% |
| Communications | |||||
| SA Profile | Ann | 9,736 | 9,845 | No Issue | 0.1% |
| Service | Q | 4,965 | 4,965 | 0% | -0.1% |
| Electrical Engineering | |||||
| Electricity & Control | Mtly | 9,271 | 9,271 | -4.2% | -12.3% |
| ESI Africa | 2xA | 0 | No Issue | No Issue | |
| Sparks Electrical News | Mtly | 14,564 | 14,564 | 4.7% | -2.4% |
| Engineering - Other | |||||
| Capital Equipment News | Mtly | 12,603 | 12,603 | 2.3% | -7.9% |
| Dataweek | Mtly | 2,938 | 2,938 | -1.0% | 2.9% |
| MechChem Africa | AltM | 10,636 | 10,636 | 0.4% | -1.5% |
| Motion Control | Q | 1,679 | 1,679 | 0.3% | -2.0% |
| Plumbing Africa | Mtly | 10,930 | 10,957 | -10.3% | 0.4% |
| Refrigeration and Airconditioning | Mtly | 6,431 | 6,439 | -9.6% | 4.2% |
| SA Instrumentation & Control | Mtly | 3,820 | 3,820 | 0.3% | -5.3% |
| Water & Sanitation Africa | 6xA | 7,943 | 7,943 | 0.9% | -8.5% |
| Health and Wellbeing | |||||
| Fire Protection | Q | 1,846 | 1,846 | -4.0% | 556.9% |
| Medical Chronicle | 11xA | 34,907 | 34,907 | 4.4% | 39.4% |
| MIMS | Mtly | 0 | Resigned | ||
| Modern Medicine Magazine | 6xA | 3,030 | 3,455 | -5.0% | -6.9% |
| SMART Security Solutions | 8xA | 4,155 | 4,155 | 0.4% | 5.5% |
| South African Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Review | 11xA | 2,830 | 2,832 | 1.5% | 7.9% |
| The Specialist Forum Journal | 11xA | 29,744 | 29,744 | 3.5% | 54.4% |
| Industry | |||||
| Analytical Reporter | 6xA | 4,784 | 4,784 | 153.0% | 13.7% |
| Cold Link Africa | 8xA | 3,817 | 3,820 | -3.5% | -2.9% |
| Gauteng Companies | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Lighting in Design | Q | 0 | Ceased Publishing | ||
| Limpopo Business | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Mpumalanga Business | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| North West Business | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Opportunity (Exploring Business Prospects in SA | Q | 4,957 | 4,957 | -0.1% | 0.2% |
| South African Business | 2xA | 0 | No Issue | ||
| South African Food Review | 11xA | 3,267 | 3,276 | 0% | -4.1% |
| The Journal of African Business | Q | 4,963 | 4,963 | 0% | No Issue |
| Western Cape Business | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Information and Computer Technology | |||||
| Brainstorm | 11xA | 4,028 | 7,114 | -13.1% | -6.4% |
| Management | |||||
| African Decisions | Q | 0 | Resigned | No Issue | |
| Black Business Quarterly | Q | 33,418 | 33,500 | 1.0% | 0.6% |
| Blue Chip | Q | 7,459 | 7,459 | -11.7% | 0% |
| ESG - Future of Sustainabilty | Ann | 14,262 | 14,262 | 391.6% | No Issue |
| FA News | AltM | 2,742 | 2,885 | 0.8% | 0.9% |
| Leadership | Mtly | 34,369 | 34,563 | -0.6% | 2.1% |
| Money Marketing | Mtly | 5,869 | 5,869 | 0.5% | -0.1% |
| Public Sector Leaders | Mtly | 12,969 | 12,969 | 2.8% | 41.9% |
| South African Business Intergrator | Q | 9,807 | 9,870 | 0.1% | 0.5% |
| Top 500 : South Africa's Best Managed Companies | Ann | 14,213 | 14,213 | 88.4% | No Issue |
| Top Women Leader | Ann | 0 | Changed Sector | ||
| Top Women Leaders | Ann | 15,015 | 15,015 | 40.7% | 27.1% |
| Mining & Quarrying | |||||
| African Mines Handbook | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| African Mining Inc. Mining Mirror | Mtly | 23,325 | 23,373 | -0.6% | 12.9% |
| Earthbroker | Mtly | 5,382 | 5,382 | 0% | 0% |
| Engineering News & Mining Weekly | Wkly, Fr | 16,366 | 18,591 | 5.7% | 29.9% |
| Mining Review Africa | 6xA | 4,651 | 4,651 | 1.6% | -2.9% |
| Modern Mining | Mtly | 10,424 | 10,424 | 7.2% | -2.5% |
| Modern Quarrying | Q | 7,254 | 7,254 | 3.4% | 0.9% |
| Retail | |||||
| DIY And Industrial Trade News | Mtly | 8,412 | 8,412 | 8.7% | 24.9% |
| Pharmacy Magazine (former Frontshop | 11xA | 15,274 | 15,274 | -23.3% | -3.3% |
| Supermarket & Retailer | Mtly | 21,561 | 21,561 | 4.1% | 24.4% |
| Transport and Logistics | |||||
| Freight News Features | Mtly | 5,160 | 5,322 | 3.0% | -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.
| Farming | |||||
| Publication | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| Dairy Mail, The | Mtly | 0 | Terminated | ||
| Wolboer / Wool Farmer | AltM | 0 | Terminated | ||
| Health & Wellbeing | |||||
| SA Pharmaceutical Journal | 10xA | 6,925 | 6,925 | 4.3% | No Issue |
| South African Medical Journal | Mtly | 11,728 | 11,728 | 1.1% | 39.6% |
| Home | |||||
| Living Space | Mtly | 2,206 | 42,101 | 4.6% | 21.8% |
| My Kitchen | Mtly | 4,843 | 112,885 | 11.4% | 28.5% |
| Industry Specific | |||||
| J S E | Q | 13,082 | 14,823 | 0.5% | -0.3% |
| Sea Rescue | 3xA | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Servamus | Mtly | 66 | 5,614 | -3.5% | -14.9% |
| The Journal of the SAIMM | Mtly | 2,146 | 2,146 | 0.3% | 4.5% |
| In-flight | |||||
| In Flight Magazine | Mtly | 76,876 | 76,876 | 50.2% | 98.9% |
| Leisure | |||||
| Private Edition | 4xA | 10,175 | 10,175 | 2.1% | No Issue |
| Taste | 6xA | 0 | Discontinued | ||
| Male | |||||
| Man | Mtly | 3,300 | 85,571 | 11.6% | 32.3% |
| Tech | Mtly | 0 | 16,615 | 1.5% | -40.2% |
| Professional | |||||
| Accountancy SA | Mtly | 64,708 | 64,708 | -2.4% | 12.3% |
| De Rebus | 11xA | 59,066 | 59,068 | -0.4% | -1.1% |
| Retail | |||||
| Club Magazine | Mtly | 6,936 | 286,394 | 11.8% | 23.3% |
| Jet Club | 7xA | 3,000 | 282,091 | 2.4% | 7.1% |
| Sport and Hobby | |||||
| Game & Hunt/Wild & Jag | Mtly | 65,112 | 65,766 | -0.4% | -1.4% |
| SoccerClub | Mtly | 4,799 | 69,924 | 15.2% | 37.1% |
| SportsClub | Mtly | 2,985 | 116,760 | 9.0% | 17.4% |
| Wildland Magazine | Mtly | 72,359 | 72,359 | -16.5% | -11.4% |
| Travel, Tourism & Hospitality | |||||
| Premier | Mtly | 7,146 | 7,146 | -8.8% | -7.7% |
| Rove SA | Q | 12,404 | 13,150 | 5.9% | 29.5% |
| Woman's General | |||||
| Balanced Life | Mtly | 3,556 | 55,982 | 10.5% | 26.6% |
| Youth | |||||
| ClubX | Mtly | 6,000 | 126,702 | 9.1% | 17.3% |
| Kids Super Club | Mtly | 3,105 | 92,847 | 9.3% | 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.
| Publication | Frequency | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| Botswana Advertiser | F | 99,965 | 0% | 0% |
| Get It (Ballito to Umhlanga | Mtly | 11,980 | 0% | -2.1% |
| Get It (Northern Suburbs Joburg | Mtly | 11,850 | 0.4% | -20.0% |
| Get It (Highway | Mtly | 11,845 | -0.2% | 0% |
| Get It (Pretoria | Mtly | 11,837 | 1.6% | -18.3% |
| Get It (Jo'burg South | Mtly | 11,750 | 0.4% | -20.3% |
| Get It (Jo'burg West | Mtly | 10,568 | -4.4% | -23.6% |
| Get It (Bloemfontein | Mtly | 6,890 | 0% | 10.7% |
| Get It (Lowveld | Mtly | 6,400 | 0% | 0% |
Tables by Andre Rademan © Bizcommunity
About Danette Breitenbach
Danette Breitenbach is a marketing & media editor at Bizcommunity.com. Previously she freelanced in the marketing and media sector, including for Bizcommunity. She was editor and publisher of AdVantage, the publication that served the marketing, media and advertising industry in southern Africa. She has worked extensively in print media, mainly B2B. She has a Masters in Financial Journalism from Wits.
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