ABC Q3 2023: A quarter marked by stability as magazines show resilience

The ABC has released the Q3, 2023 circulation figures for magazines (Image: Lesley Svenson)

Magazines, in general, demonstrated resilience with an overall decline of -2%. Consumer magazines, exhibiting a positive trend, increased by 1.28%, attributed to a 4% rise in free copies.

Business-to-business magazines faced a -2% decrease. Subscriptions in this segment, however, grew by 1%. The Custom Magazines category remained stable, reflecting a minor loss of -1.1%, while maintaining consistent trends across all distribution channels.

In light of these figures, the ABC says it is pleased to report a quarter marked by stability, demonstrating commendable resilience in the face of challenging media trading conditions. These results underscore the industry's adaptability and determination to navigate the evolving media landscape.

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Danette Breitenbach  23 Aug 2023

Consumer magazines

This category has five publications with double-digit increases on the previous quarter. It gained three new members but saw five discontinued, two resignations and two ceased publications.

Within the category, the sector Business & News had two of its three publications show increases on the previous quarter and on the prior year. Both, Financial Mail and Forbes continued their upward movement in Q2 on the previous quarter and prior year.

The Farming sector had three of its five publications up on the previous quarter, while the Parenting sector had two out of three publications with an increase on the previous quarter.

The Woman’s General sector, the biggest sector under consumer magazines, had only three publications with increases on the previous quarter and two on the prior year. This is an increase of one publication on Q2.

B2B magazines

The three biggest sectors Industry (11 publications), Management (10 publications), Mining and Quarrying (10 publications), all had less than half of their publications show an increase on the previous quarter and prior year.

The Mining and Quarrying sector had four publications increase on the previous quarter and the prior year, Management had three on the previous quarter and one on the prior year.

While Industry had three on the previous quarter and two on the prior year, it also had five no issues. It did gain a new member and one publication changed sector.

The best-performing publication is Stockfarm from the Agricultural sector, followed by MIMS from the Health and Wellbeing sector, and then, also from the Agriculture sector, Veeplaas, all showing double figure increases on the previous quarter.

Unfortunately, these three are the only publications in double-figure increases in the B2B category.

Stockfarm and Veeplaas have consistently increased from Q1.

The engineering sectors all fared well again. Six of the eight publications in the Engineering - Other sector, had increases on the previous quarter, with seven up on the prior year. Water & Sanitation Africa changed publisher.

ABC Q3 2023: Newspaper category stabilises

Danette Breitenbach  21 Nov 2023

Custom magazines

Across the 13 sectors in the Custom Magazines category, only eight had increases on the previous quarter, with Dairy Mail in the Farming sector, the only publication in double figures.

That said, in the Home sector, My Kitchen showed a good increase on the previous quarter and a double figure increase on the prior year.

In the In-Flight sector and the Male sector, In Flight Magazine and Male both increased on the previous quarter and a double figure increase on the prior year.

Both publications under the youth sector had good increases on the prior year.

Free magazines

A better quarter for this category, with six of its nine publications showing increases on the previous quarter and the rest holding steady, with no increase or decrease.

(Tables credit: Andre Rademan)