The resilience of the magazine market is reflected in its eighth consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth, as the Audit Bureau of Circulations' (ABC) Q4 circulation, from October to December 2025, shows magazines growing by 3.9% from the previous quarter and by 8.9% year on year.
The resilience of the magazine market is reflected in its eighth consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth in the Q4 (Image source: Lesley Svenson @ Bizcommunity)
The growth occurred primarily in custom magazines as publishers increased circulation in niche sectors such as retail, sport and hobbies and youth, while other magazine sectors were solid.
Consumer magazines
Consumer magazines were down 1.2% year-on-year despite the closure or non-publication of certain titles. The sectors were a mixed bag, with the farming sector boasting four of its five publications up on the previous quarter and prior year.
Business and News had two of its three publications up on the previous quarter and year, while the Home sector had half of its eight publications show growth on the previous quarter and the prior year.
The motoring sector had both its publications decrease on the previous quarter and the prior year.
| Arts, Culture and Heritage |
| Publications | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| Jewish Life | Mtly | 8,365 | 8,365 | -0.2% | -1.0% |
| Val de Vie Magazine | 2xA | 0 | No Issue | | |
| Business and News |
| BusinessBrief | AltM | 1,797 | 29,775 | No Issue | -5.7% |
| Fast Company | Q | 3,339 | 4,484 | 5.3% | 218.7% |
| Financial Mail | Wkly, Th | 2,973 | 17,161 | -2.2% | -4.8% |
| Forbes Africa | AltM | 4,344 | 11,960 | 3.9% | 9.0% |
| SA Real Estate Investor Magazine | Mtly | 0 | Resigned | | |
| The Big Issue Magazine | 11xA | 0 | Resigned | | |
| Communications |
| The Little issue | Q | 0 | Resigned | | |
| Conservation and Wildlife |
| African Birdlife | AltM | 314 | 5,969 | -5.7% | -26.5% |
| Family Interest |
| Huisgenoot | Wkly, Th | 3,672 | 66,115 | -1.0% | -11.2% |
| Plus 50 | 6xA | 150 | 4,645 | 18.0% | 4.3% |
| You | Wkly, Th | 1,966 | 30,343 | -4.0% | -11.6% |
| Farming |
| Farm.co.za | AltM | 9,200 | 9,200 | 14.3% | New Member |
| Farmer's Weekly | Wkly, Fr | 4,188 | 9,749 | 23.4% | 115.6% |
| Grond tot Mond | Q | 19,171 | 19,171 | -21.4% | -26.0% |
| Landbouweekblad | F | 114 | 11,671 | 0.5% | -4.7% |
| Marktoe | Mtly | 15,006 | 15,006 | 7.8% | 12.6% |
| Health & Wellbeing |
| Grow to Eat | 3xA | 1,208 | 10,361 | No Issue | |
| Home |
| Conde Nast House & Garden | 6xA | 3,088 | 8,776 | 3.6% | -21.7% |
| Essential Flavours | Q | 2,383 | 5,719 | -32.4% | -22.1% |
| Food&Home Magazine | Q | 2,779 | 14,561 | -1.3% | No Issue |
| Lose It | 6xA | 0 | Discontinued | | |
| SA Home Owner | 11xA | 3,389 | 15,579 | 8.5% | 5.3% |
| Sarie Kos / Food | Q | 608 | 11,629 | No Issue | 7.0% |
| The Gardener / Die Tuinier | Mtly | 1,796 | 23,833 | -19.3% | 18.2% |
| Tuis Home | 8xA | 2,835 | 48,898 | 5.6% | -11.6% |
| Visi | 6xA | 1,302 | 9,701 | 8.9% | 1.4% |
| Leisure |
| Joburg Style | 3xA | 10,500 | 10,500 | -7.9% | New Member |
| Wanted | Mtly | 18,057 | 18,057 | 17.8% | New Member |
| YourLuxury Africa | Mtly | 19,750 | 19,750 | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| YourLuxury Africa - Annual | Ann | 0 | | | New Member |
| Male |
| GQ | 6xA | 3,302 | 5,448 | 22.9% | 23.0% |
| Men's Health | AltM | 2,734 | 10,231 | -9.4% | 6.6% |
| Motoring |
| Car | Mtly | 2,897 | 23,936 | -0.1% | -8.4% |
| Driven Magazine | Mtly | 5,837 | 5,837 | -5.0% | -10.3% |
| Parenting |
| Baba & Kleuter | Q | 0 | No Issue | | |
| Baby's and Beyond | Q | 7,275 | 9,732 | -28.0% | -26.6% |
| Your Pregnancy and Baby | AltM | 2,277 | 6,658 | 11.4% | 38.7% |
| Sport and Hobby |
| Compleat Golfer | Mtly | 210 | 1,639 | No Issue | -74.2% |
| Kickoff Magazine | Mtly | 11,343 | 23,163 | 10.4% | New Member |
| SA Rugby | Mtly | 818 | 3,589 | 6.5% | 30.7% |
| Travel, Tourism & Hospitality |
| Cape Etc | 3xA | 3,132 | 5,943 | 225.6% | -17.6% |
| Getaway | Mtly | 1,267 | 8,712 | 9.2% | 14.0% |
| go! Drive & Camp and Weg! Ry & Sleep | AltM | 0 | 19,755 | -4.8% | 0.3% |
| Inbound SA | Mtly | 9,925 | 9,925 | -0.2% | 0.0% |
| Weg / Go Platteland | Q | 0 | 15,101 | 43.4% | 4.8% |
| Weg/Go | AltM | 385 | 30,126 | -0.1% | -15.4% |
| Woman's General |
| BONA Magazine | Mtly | 318 | 9,046 | 12.0% | -13.2% |
| Fairlady | AltM | 1,102 | 21,046 | -3.9% | -11.8% |
| Garden & Home Magazine | Mtly | 0 | No Issue | | |
| Glamour | 6xA | 4,076 | 6,790 | 1.0% | -42.4% |
| Ignited Woman | AltM | 0 | 950 | -24.3% | New Member |
| Kuier | F | 1,363 | 34,007 | 6.5% | -20.5% |
| Rooi Rose Magazine | Mtly | 7,848 | 25,956 | 6.2% | 5.0% |
| Sarie | AltM | 1,012 | 44,945 | -4.6% | -17.4% |
| True Love | Q | 382 | 5,997 | 4.0% | -42.3% |
| Women & Home Magazine | Mtly | 5,213 | 19,137 | -0.5% | -1.3% |
| Women's Health | AltM | 2,580 | 10,857 | -6.0% | 16.6% |
| Woman's Special |
| Bruidsgids | Ann | 0 | Terminated | | |
| Total | | 217,590 | 799,504 | -2.2% | -1.2% |
B2B magazines
In Q3 the B2B sector titles faltered. This quarter, the category was still quiet.
The standout sectors are Engineering - Other, Health & Wellbeing and Retail. All increases on the previous quarter were below double figures, except for SMART Security Solutions with over 46%.
Modern Quarrying, Blue Chip, and Engineering News & Mining Weekly all had good increases. Several publications also had excellent increases on the prior year.
| Agricultural |
| Publications | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| OVK Nuus/News | 4xA | 4,690 | 4,690 | -2.3% | -1.8% |
| SA Graan / Grain | Mtly | 13,881 | 13,881 | -15.7% | -31.3% |
| Wineland | Mtly | 2,765 | 2,835 | -2.7% | -10.0% |
| Architecture |
| Floors in Africa | 7xA | 11,378 | 11,378 | -1.0% | -9.0% |
| Leading Architect & Design | 6xA | 5,196 | 5,200 | 0.8% | -0.6% |
| To Build | 4xA | 8,431 | 8,627 | -11.5% | -12.4% |
| Walls & Roofs in Africa | 7xA | 11,378 | 11,378 | -1.0% | -9.0% |
| Automotive |
| SA Treads | Q | 0 | No Submission | | |
| Civil Construction |
| Civil Engineering | Mtly | 15,235 | 15,243 | 0.6% | 0.6% |
| Construction World | Mtly | 11,759 | 11,759 | -9.9% | -27.2% |
| IMIESA | 10xA | 11,020 | 11,020 | 3.5% | -1.0% |
| Spec Handbooks | Ann | 19,671 | 19,675 | No Issue | |
| Communications |
| Future SA | 4xA | 0 | No Issue | | |
| Service | Q | 4,962 | 4,962 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Electrical Engineering |
| Electricity & Control | Mtly | 7,176 | 7,176 | -6.0% | -25.9% |
| ESI Africa | 2xA | 0 | No Issue | | |
| Sparks Electrical News | Mtly | 9,743 | 9,743 | -11.4% | -29.9% |
| Engineering - Other |
| Capital Equipment News | Mtly | 8,308 | 8,308 | -0.1% | -32.6% |
| Dataweek | Mtly | 2,755 | 2,755 | 1.6% | -7.2% |
| Go2Energy Technical Journal | 2xA | 6,419 | 6,419 | No Issue | |
| MechChem Africa | AltM | 7,042 | 7,042 | -17.8% | -33.5% |
| Motion Control | Q | 1,420 | 1,420 | -8.9% | -15.2% |
| Plumbing Africa | Mtly | 10,707 | 10,727 | 2.0% | -12.2% |
| Refrigeration and Airconditioning | Mtly | 6,406 | 6,413 | 1.2% | -9.9% |
| SA Instrumentation & Control | Mtly | 3,214 | 3,214 | -5.7% | -15.6% |
| Water & Sanitation Africa | 6xA | 8,881 | 8,881 | 5.5% | 12.8% |
| Health and Wellbeing |
| Fire Protection | Q | 2,684 | 2,684 | 5.8% | 39.6% |
| Medical Chronicle | 11xA | 35,459 | 35,459 | 0.4% | 6.1% |
| Modern Medicine Magazine | 6xA | 0 | Resigned | | |
| SMART Security Solutions | 8xA | 3,772 | 3,772 | 46.4% | -8.8% |
| South African Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Review | 11xA | 2,656 | 2,659 | 0.2% | -4.7% |
| The Specialist Forum Journal | 11xA | 31,331 | 31,331 | 0.5% | 9.1% |
| Industry |
| Analytical Reporter | 6xA | 4,283 | 4,283 | 0.6% | 126.5% |
| Cold Link Africa | 8xA | 3,833 | 3,838 | 0.7% | -3.0% |
| Gauteng Business | Ann | 4,966 | 4,966 | No Issue | 0.0% |
| Limpopo Business | Ann | 4,964 | 4,964 | No Issue | 0.1% |
| Mpumalanga Business | Ann | 4,965 | 4,965 | No Issue | 0.0% |
| North West Business | Ann | 0 | No Issue | | |
| Opportunity (Exploring Business Prospects in SA | Q | 4,960 | 4,960 | 0.1% | 0.0% |
| South African Business | 2xA | 7,449 | 7,449 | No Issue | -0.3% |
| South African Food Review | 11xA | 3,176 | 3,184 | 1.1% | -2.8% |
| The Journal of African Business | Q | 4,963 | 4,963 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Western Cape Business | Ann | 0 | No Issue | | |
| Information and Computer Technology |
| Brainstorm | 11xA | 3,941 | 7,448 | -0.8% | -9.0% |
| Management |
| Black Business Quarterly | Q | 33,034 | 33,064 | -0.7% | -0.1% |
| Blue Chip | Q | 7,950 | 7,950 | 9.5% | -5.9% |
| ESG - Future of Sustainabilty | Ann | 11,335 | 11,335 | -31.4% | 290.7% |
| FA News | AltM | 1,735 | 1,884 | -34.9% | -34.2% |
| Leadership | Mtly | 32,461 | 32,619 | -9.4% | -5.6% |
| Money Marketing | Mtly | 6,081 | 6,081 | -1.9% | 4.1% |
| Public Sector Leaders | Mtly | 8,451 | 8,451 | -45.6% | -33.0% |
| South African Business Intergrator | Q | 9,547 | 9,604 | -1.5% | -2.6% |
| Top 500 : South Africa's Best Managed Companies | Ann | 13,226 | 13,226 | -28.6% | 75.3% |
| Top Women Leaders | Ann | 12,134 | 12,134 | -23.7% | 13.7% |
| Mining & Quarrying |
| African Mines Handbook | Ann | 1,048 | 1,532 | No Issue | 17.1% |
| African Mining Inc. Mining Mirror | Mtly | 20,848 | 20,885 | -2.5% | -11.2% |
| Earthbroker | Mtly | 0 | Suspended | | |
| Engineering News & Mining Weekly | Wkly, Fr | 22,020 | 24,169 | 7.8% | 37.4% |
| Mining Review Africa | 6xA | 3,724 | 3,724 | -20.3% | -18.7% |
| Modern Mining | Mtly | 7,835 | 7,835 | -10.2% | -19.4% |
| Modern Quarrying | Q | 4,299 | 4,299 | 9.5% | -38.7% |
| Retail |
| DIY And Industrial Trade News | Mtly | 7,711 | 7,711 | 0.2% | -0.4% |
| Pharmacy Magazine (former Frontshop | 11xA | 24,215 | 24,215 | 1.7% | 21.5% |
| Supermarket & Retailer | Mtly | 20,966 | 20,966 | -1.9% | 1.2% |
| Transport and Logistics |
| Freight News Features | Mtly | 5,159 | 5,299 | -0.7% | 2.5% |
| Total | | 569,618 | 576,654 | 0.3% | -2.5% |
Custom magazines
This sector was the shining star in Q3, and its star continues to shine brightly in Q4. This is the standout category this quarter. Of the 12 sectors, all but one had publications with increases in the previous quarter and prior year.
All the publications in the Youth sector and Retail sector had increases on the previous quarter and the prior year.
My Kitchen, J S E, In Flight Magazine, Jet Club, Premier, Balanced Life and ClubX all had increases on the previous quarter in double figures.
| Health & Wellbeing |
| Publications | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| SA Pharmaceutical Journal | 10xA | 6,706 | 6,706 | No Issue | 1.0% |
| South African Medical Journal | Mtly | 12,226 | 12,226 | 0.9% | 5.4% |
| Home |
| Living Space | Mtly | 133 | 31,143 | -5.1% | -22.6% |
| My Kitchen | Mtly | 5,093 | 130,679 | 13.9% | 28.9% |
| Industry Specific |
| J S E | Q | 12,952 | 14,794 | 16.0% | 0.4% |
| Sea Rescue | 3xA | 18,170 | 18,170 | 0.0% | 0.9% |
| Servamus | Mtly | 66 | 5,516 | 1.9% | -5.2% |
| The Journal of the SAIMM | Mtly | 2,492 | 2,492 | -1.1% | 16.5% |
| In-flight |
| In Flight Magazine | Mtly | 80,311 | 80,311 | 14.6% | 16.9% |
| Leisure |
| Private Edition | 4xA | 9,975 | 9,975 | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Male |
| Man | Mtly | 3,300 | 91,981 | 9.3% | 20.0% |
| Tech | Mtly | 0 | Discontinued | | |
| Professional |
| Accountancy SA | Mtly | 65,791 | 65,791 | -1.7% | -0.7% |
| De Rebus | 11xA | 60,558 | 60,564 | 2.4% | 2.2% |
| Retail |
| Club Magazine | Mtly | 6,936 | 323,942 | 9.4% | 26.4% |
| Jet Club | 7xA | 18,005 | 366,072 | 10.3% | 32.9% |
| Sport and Hobby |
| Game & Hunt/Wild & Jag | Mtly | 65,065 | 65,420 | 0.0% | -0.9% |
| SoccerClub | Mtly | 4,799 | 79,501 | 8.9% | 31.0% |
| SportsClub | Mtly | 2,985 | 118,414 | 4.8% | 10.5% |
| Wildland Magazine | Mtly | 74,054 | 74,054 | -1.2% | -14.6% |
| Travel, Tourism & Hospitality |
| Premier | Mtly | 8,041 | 8,041 | 15.1% | 2.6% |
| Rove SA | Q | 7,314 | 8,899 | -32.1% | -28.4% |
| Woman's General |
| Balanced Life | Mtly | 3,482 | 70,174 | 17.8% | 38.5% |
| Youth |
| ClubX | Mtly | 6,000 | 147,942 | 14.0% | 27.4% |
| Kids Super Club | Mtly | 3,355 | 109,945 | 9.9% | 29.4% |
| Total | | 477,809 | 1,902,752 | 8.6% | 17.3% |
Free magazines
Following the same mould as previous quarters, this category showed little movement up and down, with some static movement.
Get It (Jo'burg West) with the biggest increase on the previous quarter of over 3%.
| Publications | Frequency | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| Botswana Advertiser | F | 99,965 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Get It (Ballito to Umhlanga | Mtly | 11,975 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Get It (Bloemfontein | Mtly | 6,890 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Get It (Highway | Mtly | 11,807 | -0.6% | -0.5% |
| Get It (Jo'burg South | Mtly | 11,700 | -0.4% | 0.0% |
| Get It (Jo'burg West | Mtly | 11,062 | 3.6% | 0.1% |
| Get It (Lowveld | Mtly | 6,400 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Get It (Northern Suburbs Joburg | Mtly | 11,850 | -0.1% | 0.4% |
| Get It (Pretoria | Mtly | 11,730 | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| Umbele Magazine | 6xA | No Submission | | New Member |
| Total | | 183,379 | -4.0% | 0.0% |
Tables by Andre Rademan © Bizcommunity
