ABC Q1 2026 Magazines | Custom mags continued buoyancy lifts print growth
The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) Q1 (January to March) 2026 Circulation release shows that while magazine circulation came under pressure in the first quarter of 2026, magazines grew 8.1% in the year, lifted by the growth in custom magazines.
21 May 2026
As in Q4 2025, Custom magazines continued to show strong growth, posting a near 20% increase year-on-year and helping keep overall print circulation on an upward trajectory.
However, after stabilising somewhat in 2025 Consumer magazines were 5.8% down from the first quarter of 2025 and all consumer magazines registered year-on-year declines.
The latest figures released by the ABC show total newspaper and magazine circulation in SA growing 2.3% year-on-year to 8.4 million copies.
Total newspaper and magazine circulation registered a fourth consecutive annual increase in the first quarter of 2026.
After growing members in the previous year, the number of titles registered with the ABC fell to 370, taking total membership back to where it was at the beginning of 2025.
Consumer magazines
In Q4 2025, Consumer magazines were down 1.2% year-on-year, this quarter, they are down 5.8%.
Despite this, 12 consumer magazines were up on the previous quarter and 13 on the prior year.
Of the seven magazines that had increases on the previous quarter and the prior year, the best performers are Men's Health and Your Luxury Africa.
While Sarie Kos/Food, Farmers Weekly and Plus 50 increased over the previous quarter, they all increased significantly over the prior year.
| Arts, Culture and Heritage | |||||
| Publication | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| Jewish Life | Mtly | 8,368 | 8,368 | -1.0% | |
| Business and News | |||||
| BusinessBrief | AltM | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Fast Company | Q | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Financial Mail | Wkly, Th | 3,151 | 16,410 | -4.4% | -8.1% |
| Forbes Africa | AltM | 4,197 | 11,630 | -2.8% | 8.0% |
| SA Real Estate Investor Magazine | Mtly | 0 | Resigned | ||
| The Big Issue Magazine | 11xA | 0 | Resigned | ||
| Conservation and Wildlife | |||||
| African Birdlife | AltM | 136 | 5,804 | -2.8% | -34.2% |
| Family Interest | |||||
| Huisgenoot | Wkly, Th | 2,964 | 60,345 | -8.7% | -17.0% |
| Plus 50 | 6xA | 1,587 | 5,238 | 12.8% | 104.0% |
| You | Wkly, Th | 1,480 | 27,459 | -9.5% | -19.4% |
| Farming | |||||
| Farm.co.za | AltM | 9,165 | 9,165 | -0.4% | |
| Farmer's Weekly | Wkly, Fr | 4,676 | 10,146 | 4.1% | 105.6% |
| Grond tot Mond | Q | 17,377 | 17,377 | -9.4% | -1.2% |
| Landbouweekblad | F | 130 | 10,438 | -10.6% | -15.7% |
| Marktoe | Mtly | 14,604 | 14,604 | -2.7% | -22.0% |
| Health & Wellbeing | |||||
| Grow to Eat | 3xA | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Home | |||||
| Conde Nast House & Garden | 6xA | 3,382 | 8,191 | -6.7% | No Issue |
| Essential Flavours | Q | 2,100 | 4,480 | -21.7% | -46.1% |
| Food&Home Magazine | Q | 3,511 | 14,664 | 0.7% | -0.1% |
| SA Home Owner | 11xA | 3,933 | 15,056 | -3.4% | -1.3% |
| Sarie Kos / Food | Q | 670 | 12,594 | 8.3% | 31.5% |
| The Gardener / Die Tuinier | Mtly | 4,918 | 25,551 | 7.2% | -22.3% |
| Tuis Home | 8xA | 1,250 | 49,619 | 1.5% | -5.0% |
| Visi | 6xA | 1,012 | 8,158 | -15.9% | -14.5% |
| Leisure | |||||
| Joburg Style | 3xA | 0 | New Member | ||
| Wanted | Mtly | 25,157 | 25,157 | 39.3% | New Member |
| YourLuxury Africa | Mtly | 23,859 | 23,859 | 20.8% | 21.4% |
| Male | |||||
| GQ | 6xA | 2,707 | 4,024 | -26.1% | No Issue |
| Men's Health | AltM | 4,101 | 11,960 | 16.9% | 25.4% |
| Motoring | |||||
| Car | Mtly | 4,895 | 24,016 | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| Driven Magazine | Mtly | 5,636 | 5,636 | -3.4% | -8.0% |
| Parenting | |||||
| Baba & Kleuter | Q | 666 | 11,244 | No Issue | 6.1% |
| Baby's and Beyond | Q | 6,950 | 9,132 | -6.2% | -33.7% |
| Your Pregnancy and Baby | AltM | 2,456 | 5,834 | -12.4% | 23.4% |
| Sport and Hobby | |||||
| Compleat Golfer | Mtly | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Kickoff Magazine | Mtly | 12,214 | 18,441 | -20.4% | New Member |
| SA Rugby | Mtly | 1,031 | 2,852 | -20.5% | 2.9% |
| Travel, Tourism & Hospitality | |||||
| Cape Etc | 3xA | 4,222 | 5,882 | -1.0% | -19.9% |
| Getaway | Mtly | 1,765 | 8,714 | 11.4% | |
| go! Drive & Camp and Weg! Ry & Sleep | AltM | 136 | 19,397 | -1.8% | -11.0% |
| Inbound SA | Mtly | 9,947 | 9,947 | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Weg / Go Platteland | Q | 212 | 12,975 | -14.1% | -10.6% |
| Weg/Go | AltM | 1,211 | 29,683 | -1.5% | -18.3% |
| Woman's General | |||||
| BONA Magazine | Mtly | 2,040 | 8,952 | -1.0% | -17.4% |
| Fairlady | AltM | 1,226 | 21,959 | 4.3% | -11.6% |
| Garden & Home Magazine | Mtly | 0 | No Issue | No Issue | |
| Glamour | 6xA | 3,714 | 5,956 | -12.3% | No Issue |
| Ignited Woman | AltM | 0 | Terminated | New Member | |
| Kuier | F | 1,042 | 29,330 | -13.8% | -17.9% |
| Rooi Rose Magazine | Mtly | 6,586 | 25,635 | -1.2% | 3.2% |
| Sarie | AltM | 2,699 | 44,011 | -2.1% | -2.0% |
| True Love | Q | 1,036 | 5,704 | -4.9% | -22.5% |
| Women & Home Magazine | Mtly | 3,936 | 19,025 | -0.6% | -2.3% |
| Women's Health | AltM | 2,754 | 9,179 | -15.5% | -8.7% |
| Total | 220,809 | 733,801 | -7.5% | -5.8% | |
B2B magazines
Traditionally, the B2B category has been a bastion of strength in the magazine print category, but Q3 and Q4 2025 saw it falter.
This quarter saw it continue this downward trend, with a slight increase on the Q4 2025 declines on the previous quarter and on the prior year.
Despite this, some sectors performed well, including Electrical Engineering, Engineering: Other, Health & Wellbeing, Management, Information and Computer Technology, Mining and Quarrying, Freight News focus and Retail.
Engineering: Other fared especially well with seven of its nine publications showing an increase on the previous quarter, and Health & Wellbeing with four of its six publications showing an increase on the previous quarter and three on the prior year.
Management also had six of 10 publications increase on the previous quarter and five on the prior year.
Publication highlights include SA Graan / Grain, Electricity & Control, MechChem Africa, Refrigeration and Airconditioning, Top 500: South Africa's Best Managed Companies, Mining Review Africa, and Pharmacy Magazine (former Frontshop).
| Agricultural | |||||
| Publication | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| OVK Nuus/News | 4xA | 4,690 | 4,690 | -1.7% | |
| SA Graan / Grain | Mtly | 17,225 | 17,225 | 24.1% | -13.1% |
| Wineland | Mtly | 2,827 | 2,904 | 2.4% | -8.1% |
| Architecture | |||||
| Floors in Africa | 7xA | 12,265 | 12,265 | 7.8% | 1.7% |
| Leading Architect & Design | 6xA | 5,194 | 5,198 | -0.1% | -1.8% |
| SA Building Review | Ann | 9,235 | 9,391 | No Issue | -1.9% |
| To Build | 4xA | 7,754 | 8,363 | -3.1% | -15.1% |
| Walls & Roofs in Africa | 7xA | 12,265 | 12,265 | 7.8% | 1.7% |
| Automotive | |||||
| SA Treads | Q | 1,360 | 1,360 | No Submission | -69.7% |
| Civil Construction | |||||
| Civil Engineering | Mtly | 14,746 | 14,747 | -3.3% | 3.3% |
| Construction World | Mtly | 12,037 | 12,037 | 2.4% | -25.4% |
| IMIESA | 10xA | 10,458 | 10,458 | -5.1% | -2.1% |
| Spec Handbooks | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Communications | |||||
| SA Profile | Ann | 9,646 | 9,711 | No Issue | -1.4% |
| Service | Q | 4,962 | 4,962 | -0.1% | |
| Electrical Engineering | |||||
| Electricity & Control | Mtly | 7,960 | 7,960 | 10.9% | -14.1% |
| Sparks Electrical News | Mtly | 9,821 | 9,821 | 0.8% | -32.6% |
| Engineering - Other | |||||
| Capital Equipment News | Mtly | 8,474 | 8,474 | 2.0% | -32.8% |
| Dataweek | Mtly | 2,752 | 2,752 | -0.1% | -5.9% |
| Go2Energy Technical Journal | 2xA | 0 | No Issue | No Issue | |
| MechChem Africa | AltM | 7,785 | 7,785 | 10.6% | -26.8% |
| Motion Control | Q | 1,456 | 1,456 | 2.5% | -13.3% |
| Plumbing Africa | Mtly | 10,707 | 10,726 | 0.1% | -1.9% |
| Refrigeration and Airconditioning | Mtly | 7,142 | 7,145 | 11.5% | 11.0% |
| SA Instrumentation & Control | Mtly | 3,479 | 3,479 | 8.2% | -8.9% |
| Water & Sanitation Africa | 6xA | 9,287 | 9,287 | 4.6% | 16.9% |
| Health and Wellbeing | |||||
| Fire Protection | Q | 2,733 | 2,733 | 1.8% | 48.0% |
| Medical Chronicle | 11xA | 36,954 | 36,954 | 4.2% | 5.9% |
| Modern Medicine Magazine | 6xA | 0 | Resigned | ||
| SMART Security Solutions | 8xA | 3,896 | 3,896 | 3.3% | -6.2% |
| South African Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Review | 11xA | 2,670 | 2,673 | 0.5% | -5.6% |
| The Specialist Forum Journal | 11xA | 30,446 | 30,446 | -2.8% | 2.4% |
| Industry | |||||
| Analytical Reporter | 6xA | 4,251 | 4,251 | -0.7% | -11.1% |
| Cold Link Africa | 8xA | 3,835 | 3,840 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Gauteng Business | Ann | 0 | No Issue | No Issue | |
| Limpopo Business | Ann | 0 | No Issue | No Issue | |
| Mpumalanga Business | Ann | 0 | No Issue | No Issue | |
| Opportunity (Exploring Business Prospects in SA | Q | 4,950 | 4,950 | -0.2% | -0.1% |
| South African Business | 2xA | 0 | No Issue | ||
| South African Food Review | 11xA | 3,150 | 3,157 | -0.8% | -3.6% |
| The Journal of African Business | Q | 4,965 | 4,965 | ||
| Information and Computer Technology | |||||
| Brainstorm | 11xA | 3,955 | 7,694 | 3.3% | 8.2% |
| Management | |||||
| Black Business Quarterly | Q | 37,005 | 37,005 | 7.9% | 7.1% |
| Blue Chip | Q | 6,950 | 6,950 | -12.6% | -6.8% |
| ESG - Future of Sustainabilty | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| FA News | AltM | 1,745 | 1,891 | 0.4% | -34.5% |
| Leadership | Mtly | 36,519 | 36,519 | 7.2% | 2.6% |
| Money Marketing | Mtly | 6,126 | 6,126 | 0.7% | 4.4% |
| Public Sector Leaders | Mtly | 21,592 | 21,592 | 155.5% | 66.5% |
| South African Business Intergrator | Q | 8,892 | 9,017 | -6.1% | -8.6% |
| Top 500 : South Africa's Best Managed Companies | Ann | 32,319 | 32,319 | 144.4% | 127.4% |
| Top Women Leaders | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| Mining & Quarrying | |||||
| African Mines Handbook | Ann | 0 | No Issue | ||
| African Mining Inc. Mining Mirror | Mtly | 19,805 | 19,842 | -4.9% | -15.0% |
| Earthbroker | Mtly | 0 | Suspended | ||
| Engineering News & Mining Weekly | Wkly, Fr | 22,522 | 24,699 | 2.2% | 32.9% |
| Mining Review Africa | 6xA | 4,693 | 4,693 | 26.0% | 0.9% |
| Modern Mining | Mtly | 8,135 | 8,135 | 3.8% | -22.0% |
| Modern Quarrying | Q | 4,582 | 4,582 | 6.6% | -36.8% |
| Retail | |||||
| DIY And Industrial Trade News | Mtly | 7,735 | 7,735 | 0.3% | -8.0% |
| Pharmacy Magazine (former Frontshop | 11xA | 24,223 | 24,223 | 58.6% | |
| Supermarket & Retailer | Mtly | 22,881 | 22,881 | 9.1% | 6.1% |
| Transport and Logistics | |||||
| Freight News Features | Mtly | 5,371 | 5,509 | 4.0% | 3.5% |
| Total | 566,427 | 573,738 | -0.9% | -3.8% | |
Custom magazines
The real good news this quarter is in the Custom magazines category, which continues its upward trend of Q3 and Q4 2025 with an increase of 6.3% on the previous quarter and 19.1% on the prior year.
The Retail, Woman’s General (only one publication) and Youth categories had increases for all publications on the previous quarter and on the prior year.
The Sports & Hobbies and Home categories had all increases, bar one publication in each category on the prior year.
Following their increases in the previous quarter (Q4 2025), My Kitchen and Balanced Life continued their increases from Q4 2025.
Other standouts are
| Health & Wellbeing | |||||
| Publication | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| SA Pharmaceutical Journal | 10xA | 0 | No Submission | ||
| South African Medical Journal | Mtly | 12,215 | 12,215 | -0.1% | 4.2% |
| Home | |||||
| Living Space | Mtly | 33 | 34,909 | 12.1% | -17.1% |
| My Kitchen | Mtly | 5,093 | 146,842 | 12.4% | 30.1% |
| Industry Specific | |||||
| J S E | Q | 10,478 | 11,155 | -24.6% | -24.7% |
| Sea Rescue | 3xA | 11,150 | 11,150 | -38.6% | No Issue |
| Servamus | Mtly | 66 | 4,976 | -9.8% | -11.4% |
| The Journal of the SAIMM | Mtly | 2,549 | 2,549 | 2.3% | 18.8% |
| In-flight | |||||
| In Flight Magazine | Mtly | 75,182 | 75,182 | -6.4% | -2.2% |
| Leisure | |||||
| Lush Fine Living | Q | 18,658 | 18,658 | New Member | |
| Private Edition | 4xA | 9,975 | 9,975 | -2.0% | |
| Male | |||||
| Man | Mtly | 3,300 | 101,843 | 10.7% | 19.0% |
| Tech | Mtly | 0 | Discontinued | ||
| Professional | |||||
| Accountancy SA | Mtly | 63,872 | 63,872 | -2.9% | -1.3% |
| De Rebus | 11xA | 60,568 | 60,572 | 2.5% | |
| Retail | |||||
| Club Magazine | Mtly | 6,936 | 355,730 | 9.8% | 24.2% |
| Jet Club | 7xA | 3,000 | 389,841 | 6.5% | 38.2% |
| Sport and Hobby | |||||
| Game & Hunt/Wild & Jag | Mtly | 65,097 | 65,511 | 0.1% | -0.4% |
| SoccerClub | Mtly | 4,799 | 85,597 | 7.7% | 22.4% |
| SportsClub | Mtly | 2,885 | 124,319 | 5.0% | 6.5% |
| Wildland Magazine | Mtly | 75,119 | 75,119 | 1.4% | 3.8% |
| Travel, Tourism & Hospitality | |||||
| Premier | Mtly | 7,101 | 7,101 | -11.7% | -0.6% |
| Rove SA | Q | 6,947 | 7,858 | -11.7% | -40.2% |
| Woman's General | |||||
| Balanced Life | Mtly | 3,482 | 79,019 | 12.6% | 41.2% |
| Youth | |||||
| ClubX | Mtly | 6,000 | 157,402 | 6.4% | 24.2% |
| Kids Super Club | Mtly | 3,355 | 120,784 | 9.9% | 30.1% |
| Total | 457,860 | 2,022,179 | 6.3% | 19.1% | |
Free magazines
The Free magazine category remained more or less static.
| Publication | Frequency | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| Botswana Advertiser | F | 99,965 | ||
| Get It (Ballito to Umhlanga | Mtly | 11,984 | 0.1% | |
| Get It (Bloemfontein | Mtly | 6,890 | ||
| Get It (Highway | Mtly | 11,736 | -0.6% | -0.9% |
| Get It (Jo'burg South | Mtly | 11,750 | 0.4% | |
| Get It (Jo'burg West | Mtly | 10,481 | -5.3% | -0.8% |
| Get It (Lowveld | Mtly | 6,400 | ||
| Get It (Northern Suburbs Joburg | Mtly | 11,900 | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Get It (Pretoria | Mtly | 11,800 | 0.6% | -0.3% |
| Total | 182,906 | -0.3% | -0.1% |
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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