by Herman Manson (@marklives) The Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa has released circulation statistics for the period April — June 2014. Here are several consumer magazine ABC figures that stand out for us (see our newspaper ABC analysis here). We’ve also updated our list of the biggest circulating consumer magazines in SA.
Note: we compare the current figures with the same figures for this time last year, and not with the previous quarter. Green equals growth, red equals decline.
Overall, circulation has fallen to 5 917 838 from 6 163 028 in the previous corresponding reporting period (but grew from 5 882 195 in the 
previous quarter). Single copy sales stand at 3 859 455 (down from 3 964 472 in Q1 2014) and total paid (includes subscription figures) stand at 4 722 323 (up from 4 718 243 in Q1 2014). Paid-for replica PDF copies (digital copy sales at 50% plus of retail price) stand at 80 561 (down from 89 144 in Q1 2014).
The Q2 2014 data shows that almost 5% (217 366 copies) of total consumer magazine paid circulation comes from distribution at less than 50% (on average) of the title cover price.
This has largely been driven by the inclusion of digital copy sales through bundled subscriptions offered by Media24 Magazines through its Kaboedel/The Bundle service. These copies are indicated as paid PDF replica edition sales below 50% of cover price. Kaboedel/The Bundle launched in April 2013 and offers access to the PDF replicas of 14 Afrikaans titles and 22 English titles at a fixed monthly subscription rate (currently R110 a month for all 14 Afrikaans magazines, or R110 for all 22 English titles).
It bounced Finweek’s circulation with 12 637 copies or 56,55% yoy and and with 98,93% over the previous quarter. TV Plus (Afrikaans) added 10 431 copies to its circulation, Huisgenoot 10 331, Landbouweekblad 10 337, Tuis 12 950, Drive Out/Wegry 10 533, Baba & Kleuter 10 532, SA Hunter/Jagter 10 470, Weg/Go 12 847, WegSleep 10 464, Idees 12 904, Kuier 10 424, Leef 10 478 and Sarie 10 518.
On average the bundle offer means consumers are paying less than R10 per PDF copy per magazine. There is no guarantee that a household accesses all the magazines in the bundle.
It looks like a good deal for consumers, and it’s important that media houses experiment with digital distribution models. I don’t know any other SA consumer content play that potentially generates close to R16 million a year in subscription revenue through digital channels. The fact that bundled subscriptions count to 14 Afrikaans titles or 22 English titles are problematic in that they don’t offer even a vague description of the take-up on individual titles. It skews the rate card numbers and offers a false reflection of the circulation health of individual titles. For this reason numbers shown in orange indicates circulation figures we believe were significantly skewed by bundle subscription offers.
Some insights
Media24 Magazine’s decision to add digital bundle subscriptions to their circulation figures makes of mess of it.
Kuier continues to show strong growth.
Bona has fallen out of our Top 10 – to 74 939 from 87 683 (and 96 572 in Q1 1014).
RIP Rolling Stone.
There is life in the men’s category yet – good showing Blaque Magazine, Destiny Man, Braintainment and Stuff.
TopGear at 23 374. To quote the man: Speed never killed anyone, suddenly becoming stationary, that’s what gets you.
The business press
Financial Mail has fallen to 19 866 from 22 249 in the corresponding previous period (and 23 400 in Q1 2014). Financial Mail editor Tim Cohen says the circulation decline is due to a decision to reduce the number of partly paid copies the magazine delivers to airports by around 3000 copies. Cohen says actual circulation is flat – but in the current tough market that is better than average.
Finweek jumped to 23 782 from 15 191 in the corresponding previous period (and 11 955 in Q1 2014). Take out the Kaboedel bundle numbers and and it stands at around 11 145.
Entrepreneur has climbed to 20 294 from 17 984 in the corresponding previous period and Personal Finance has grown to 13 334 from 11 647. Forbes Africa has fallen to 16 381 from 18 531. Noseweek has fallen slightly to 17 040 from 18 836. Succeed Magazine made no ABC submission.
Farmer’s Weekly has fallen to 13 860 from 15 809 and Landbouweekblad has grown to 43 703 from 37 376 (33 366 minus the PDF stats).
Biggest-circulating business magazines in terms of paid-for (sales, bulk and subscriptions) circulation:
Finweek: 21 279*
Entrepreneur: 19 831
Financial Mail: 17 781
Noseweek: 17 032
Personal Finance: 13 319
Your Business: 9 155
Forbes Africa: 7 307
Biggest-circulating business magazines in terms of total circulation:
Finweek: 23 782*
Entrepreneur: 20 294
Financial Mail: 19 866
Noseweek: 17 040
Forbes Africa: 16 381
Personal Finance: 13 334
Your Business: 11 088
* Bullshit
Entertainment & celeb news
heat magazine has climbed to 29 401, up from 27 929. Media24′s bundle subscription offering might have added as many as 2 354 copies to this figure. People falls to 79 810 from 82 644. TV Plus (Afrikaans) jumps to 46 151 from 37 647.
Bona has fallen to 74 939 from 87 683 (and 96 572 in Q1 1014) and Drum to 107 504 from 121 025. Huisgenoot has declined to 270 772 from 280 593 in the corresponding previous period and YOU to 153 709 from 165 130. Rolling Stone has been discontinued.
Home & gardening, leisure
In the home category, Conde Nast House & Garden has seen a decline to 42 519 from 44 483. Home Handyman has seen a decline to 10 034 from 11 664. Food and Home Entertaining has fallen to 32 007 from 36 014. House & Leisure has fallen to 42 547 from 45 356 and SA Garden & Home to 56 300 from 59 898.
Habitat has held steady at 12 805 – up slightly from 12 129. Elle Deco has climbed to 25 026 from 24 044 and SA Home Owner to 41 288 from 36 562. Visi has grown to 15 778 from 11 026 (with single copy sales of 10 994). Sarie Kos has grown to 50 720 from 48 524. Die Tuinier is up to 24 206 from 21 925. Tuis/Home has grown to 94 415 from 85 561 (thanks to Kaboedel).
Easy DIY has crashed to 12 284 from 23 379. Frankly its circulation figures makes little sense – in Q1 it claimed 20 000 copies sold below 50% of the cover price and single copy sales of 2983. In Q2 those 20 000 copies become 0 and single copy sales equal 8 534.
Men’s market
Blaque Magazine has grown to 16 089 up from 14 638 in Q1 2014 (no previous corresponding reporting period data available) and Destiny Man to 22 517 from 18 730. Braintainment has grown to 15 443 from 13 133. Stuff has grown to 19 392 from 19 379.
GQ comes in at 27 045 – down slightly from 27 435 in Q1 2014 (no previous corresponding reporting period data available due to frequency change).
Men’s Health has declined to 53 778 from 61 722 and NAG to 19 121 from 19 813. Popular Mechanics has fallen to 42 187 from 44 280.
Health, fitness, sport
Amakhosi has declined to 22 306 from 41 260 and Kick Off to 39 696 from 48 129. Compleat Golfer has fallen to 9 910 from 11 075 and Golf Digest to 9 747 from 12 002. Magnum has fallen to 17 368 from 18 211. SA Rugby has fallen to 19 922 from 20 029. ZigZag has declined to 8 312 from 9 286.
SA Hunter/Jagter has grown to 54 506 from 42 449. Longevity has grown to 21 080 from 20 443 and Fitness His Edition to 10 857 from 9 694.
Hitting the road
Getaway has grown slightly to 44 824 from 44 470 and SA Country Life has grown to 41 934 from 38 921. New member Weg/Go Platteland has come in at 35 219. Weg/Go itself has fallen to 75 488 from 80 270 in spite of a boost by Kaboedel.
On the motoring magazine front TopGear has declined to 23 374 from 33 111, Speed and Sound to 35 088 from 38 763, SA4x4 to 17 657 from 18 694, Leisure Wheels to 19 775 from 22 945. CAR has fallen to 74 204 from 79 848.
Caravan and Outdoor Life has grown to 18 559 from 18 252. Topcar has grown to 20 472 from 19 124 (thanks to The Bundle) and WegRy/Drive Out to 39 742 from 31 557 (thanks to Kaboedel).
New moms
Baba & Kleuter has grown to 31 067 from 22 157. Living and Loving has fallen to 18 602 from 24 159 and Mamas & Papas to 26 270 from 26 641 (11 574 copies came from back issues). Your Baby has declined to 21 182 from 23 959 and Your Pregnancy to 33 463 from 33 824.
Woman’s general
New kid on the block Bella has come in at 9 324 for its first ABC reporting period. Cosmopolitan has fallen below the 70k mark – to 64 938 
from 78 619. Destiny has fallen to 27 884 from 31 091 and Essentials to 34 715 from 35 198. Finesse has fallen to 55 601 from 70 145, Glamour to 63 507 from 70 805, Good Housekeeping/Goeie Huishouding to 54 190 from 67 311, Grazia to 20 778 from 22 790 and Ideas/Idees to 76 076 from 88 930.
Marie Claire has declined to 33 198 from 36 599. Rooi Rose has fallen to 92 848 to 95 891 (but up from 83 899 in Q1 2014). True Love has fallen to 55 704 from 59 271, Vroue Keur to 67 753 from 69 809 and Your Family to 47 595 from 48 472.
Sarie has grown to 104 925 from 102 223 with the help of Kaboedel. Elle has grown to 31 437 from 30 816 and Fair Lady to 55 745 from 50 738. Kuier is up to 121 512 from 97 135. Leef has grown to 44 068 from 36 476, Move! to 127 635 from 124 187 and Woman and Home to 86 118 from 83 863. Women’s Health has grown to 58 686 from 55 675 (but down from 72 306 in Q1 2014).
O, The Oprah Magazine, has been discontinued.
The MarkLives Big Magazine list*
1. Huisgenoot: 270 772 -
2. YOU: 153 709 -
3. Move!: 127 635 -
4. Kuier: 121 512 +2
5. Drum: 107 504 -1
6. Sarie: 104 925 -1
7. Tuis/Home: 94 415 New
8. Rooi Rose: 92 848 +1
9. Woman and Home: 86 118 -1
10. People: 79 810 -
Ideas/Idees: 76 076
Weg/Go!: 75 488
Bona: 74 939 Falls out of Top 10
CAR: 74 204
*By total circulation. Must have a cover price. Annuals excluded.
Movement on the Big Magazine list compared to 2014 Q1 data.
ABC: The biggest circulating consumer magazines in South Africa
ABC: The biggest circulating newspapers in South Africa
ABC Magazine Round-up: Even the good news is bad news
ABC Newspaper Round-up: Depressing doesn’t even describe it
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