Subscribe & Follow

Advertise your job vacancies

Jobs

Publication Quality Controller Cape Town
Journalist Intern Johannesburg

More jobs Submit a job Open account

Newspapers ABC Q1 2023: A quiet, stable quarter

By Danette Breitenbach

23 May 2023

The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) of South Africa has released its Quarter 1, 2023 circulation figures for newspapers revealing a stable three month period.

Image: Bizcommunity The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) of South Africa has release its Q1, 2023 circulation figures for newspapers

While decreases on the previous quarter remain incremental, each category has some newspapers with increases on the previous quarter. In general, it was a quiet quarter. Load shedding as well as the continued pressure that consumers are under is still evident in the quarter’s figures.

Daily newspapers

This shrinking category had only four dailies with a positive increase on the previous quarter – Business Day, Die Daily Burger, Daily Beeld, and The Herald. But despite this, the decreases on the previous quarter continue to be marginal for most of the dailies. A few, such as Daily News Isolezwe and Daily Sun had bigger losses. Daily Sun is the biggest loser in this category with double-digit losses on the previous quarter.

Publication	Frequency	Paid circulation	Free circulation	Total circulation	% change quarter	% change year
Star, The	MD, Mo-Fr	13,160	12,436	25,596	-6.1%	-8.5%
Citizen, The (Daily)	MD, Mo-Fr	15,011	9,420	24,431	-0.1%	-6.0%
Sowetan	Mo-Fr	16,684	8,082	24,766	-0.4%	-15.4%
Cape Argus	MD, Mo-Fr	6,347	4,003	10,350	-1.0%	-4.5%
Cape Times	MD, Mo-Fr	7,094	3,827	10,921	-3.4%	-7.7%
Mercury, The	MD, Mo-Fr	7,327	3,283	10,610	-3.5%	-9.5%
Daily News	MD, Mo-Fr	5,166	3,117	8,283	-7.1%	-14.9%
Business Day	MD, Mo-Fr	12,784	1,746	14,530	0.8%	-9.2%
Burger, Die Daily	MD, Mo-Fr	26,787	669	27,456	1.9%	-5.7%
Beeld, Daily	MD, Mo-Fr	20,431	602	21,033	3.5%	-2.6%
Herald, The	MD, Mo-Fr	10,474	475	10,949	5.5%	-4.6%
Daily Dispatch	MD, Mo-Fr	10,551	216	10,767	-1.1%	-0.5%
Daily Sun	Mo-Fr	23,237	182	23,419	-16.4%	-33.3%
Witness, The	MD, Mo-Fr	6,072	108	6,180	-3.5%	-14.0%
Son (Daily)	MD, Mo-Fr	15,351	53	15,404	-3.8%	-22.7%
Isolezwe	MD, Mo-Fr	24,926	23	24,949	-7.6%	-21.0%
Bukedde	MD, Mo-Sat	19,837		19,837	-5.6%	-19.0%
Daily Nation	MD, Mo-Sat	63,126		63,126	-0.1%	-13.4%
New Vision	MD, Mo-Fr	16,626		16,626	-3.0%	-11.0%
Pretoria News	MD, Mo-Fr	Resigned
Times of Swaziland	MD, Mo-Fr	13,296		13,296	-3.8%	-16.3%

Weekly newspapers

The Weekly category proves that smaller is not always bad, with incremental decreases on the previous quarter for half of the category. Daily Maverick was the best in the category (for the South African-based weeklies) both on the previous quarter and prior year. The biggest percentage decrease on the previous quarter came from Mail & Guardian.

Publication	Frequency	Paid circulation	Free circulation	Total circulation	% change quarter	% change year
Soccer Laduma	Wkly, Wed	63,103		63,103	-4.8%	-17.9%
Ilanga	2xW, Mo&Th	31,259		31,259	-6.2%	-18.7%
Post, The	Wkly, Wed	14,250	3,552	17,802	-4.6%	-8.1%
Daily Maverick,	Wkly, Sat	8,758	1,210	9,968	11.6%	19.0%
Mail & Guardian	Wkly, Fr	7,625	6	7,631	-10.3%	-17.5%
Lesotho Times	Wkly, Th	7,266	269	7,535	17.6%	7.9%
Voice, The	Wkly, Fr	7,011		7,011	-1.6%	-18.0%
Diamond Fields Advertiser.	Wkly, Fr	Resigned

Weekend newspapers

Things always look better on the weekend, and this is definitely the case for the Weekend newspapers category. Most losses on the previous quarter were incremental, with only two weekend newspapers, Sunday Times and Isolezwe ngoMgqibelo in double digits.

And there were some good increases on the previous quarter as well. With Sunday Vision top of the category with an over 12% increase. Six other weekend newspapers also had increases on the previous quarter.

Unfortunately, all the weekenders had losses on the prior year.

Publication	Frequency	Paid circulation	Free circulation	Total circulation	% change quarter	% change year
Sunday Times	Wknd	76,050	15,971	92,021	-15.6%	-20.9%
Sunday Nation	Wkly, Sun	65,830		65,830	-2.9%	-19.2%
Rapport	Wknd	64,522	138	64,660	2.0%	-4.7%
Burger, Die Saturday	Wkly, Sat	36,744	661	37,405	1.2%	-6.1%
Beeld, Saturday	Wkly, Sat	25,801	219	26,020	1.6%	-3.7%
Isolezwe ngoMgqibelo	Wkly, Sat	19,257	2	19,259	-13.3%	-19.8%
Sunday World	Wknd	18,795	3,505	22,300	-5.9%	-21.3%
City Press	Wknd	16,195	308	16,503	1.3%	-21.5%
Isolezwe ngeSonto	Wkly, Sun	15,764	3	15,767	-6.0%	-20.4%
Ilanga Langesonto	Wknd	14,786		14,786	-5.0%	-18.3%
Sunday Tribune	Wkly, Sun	14,675	3,957	18,632	-4.0%	-12.4%
Sunday Vision	Wkly, Sun	12,391		12,391	12.6%	-1.3%
Citizen, The (Saturday)	Wkly, Sat	9,406	1	9,407	-0.2%	-11.6%
Independent on Saturday	Wkly, Sat	8,856	3,735	12,591	-3.6%	-11.2%
Weekend Post	Wknd	8,202	415	8,617	6.8%	-8.4%
Daily Dispatch Weekend Edition (formerly Saturday Dispatch)	Wknd	8,041	127	8,168	-4.2%	-11.1%
Weekend Argus	Wknd	7,836	4,409	12,245	-1.6%	-7.4%
Weekend Witness	Wkly, Sat	5,288	106	5,394	-5.5%	-15.0%
Saturday Star, The	Wkly, Sat	4,581	3,682	8,263	0.7%	-6.2%
Pretoria News Saturday	Wkly, Sat	Resigned

Local newspapers

It was a mixed bag for local newspapers with eight newspapers increasing over the previous quarter. Increases ranged from 0.1% to 14.1%. The number of local newspapers that showed decreases on the previous quarter outnumbered the positive increases. These decreases ranged from -0.4% to -13.8%. There were six changed sectors, one termination and one rebrand.

Publication	Frequency	Paid circulation	Free circulation	Total circulation	% change quarter	% change year
Witbank News, Fri	Wkly, Fr	19,580		19,580	-0.4%	17.8%
Middelburg Observer, Fri	Wkly, Fr	17,148		17,148	1.6%	15.9%
African Reporter	Wkly, Fr	13,665		13,665	7.3%	-6.1%
George Herald (Thursday)	Wkly, Th	8,987		8,987	-3.4%	-15.4%
Mpumalanga News	Wkly, Wed	7,755		7,755	8.2%	6.5%
Paarl Post	Wkly, Th	6,575	37	6,612	-4.4%	-6.3%
Worcester Standard	Wkly, Th	5,110	40	5,150	-8.4%	-3.9%
Weslander, The	Wkly, Th	4,867	211	5,078	-5.5%	-11.0%
Zululand Observer Weekend (Formerly Friday)	Wkly, Fr	4,764	490	5,254	-2.0%	-18.4%
Limpopo Mirror	Wkly, Fr	4,311		4,311	-7.4%	-4.9%
Mosselbay Advertiser	Wkly, Fr	4,086		4,086	-4.8%	-14.1%
Vaalweekblad	Wkly, Th	2,894		2,894	-6.8%	-16.5%
Zululand Observer Monday	Wkly, Mon	2,426	340	2,766	0.1%	-24.9%
Daller, Die	Wkly, Fr	1,794		1,794	1.3%	8.1%
South Cape Forum/Suid Kaap Forum	Wkly, Th	1,684		1,684	0.4%	-18.8%
Talk of the Town	Wkly, Fr	1,177		1,177	-13.8%	-23.1%
Knysna Plett Herald	Wkly, Th	1,165		1,165	-0.6%	-9.1%
Bosvelder Review	Wkly, Fr	1,048		1,048	-10.8%	-16.2%
Streeknuus	Wkly, Fr	994		994	-1.2%	-22.3%
Oudtshoorn Courant	Wkly, Fr	860		860	3.0%	-16.4%
Graaff Reinet Advertiser	Wkly, Th	848		848	14.1%	-6.5%
The Courier	Wkly, Fr	Terminated
District Mail	Wkly, Th	Rebranded
Estcourt and Midlands News	Wkly, Fr	Changed Sector
Ladysmith Gazette	Wkly, Fr	Changed Sector
Newcastle and District Advertiser	Wkly, Fr	Changed Sector
Northern Natal Courier	Wkly, Fr	Changed Sector
Northern Review Weekend	Wkly, Fr	Changed Sector
Vryheid Herald	Wkly, Fr	Changed Sector

Source © Nations Online The ABC Q4 2022 for newspapers is out

Newspapers ABC Q4 2022: Nothing to see here folks...

Danette Breitenbach 22 Feb 2023

Free newspapers

Not much is for free these days, but free newspapers are exactly that. Proving that everyone likes something for free, this category had some small increases on the previous quarter, with Soweto Urban News a highlight with 9.1%. There were no double-figure increases.

But similarly, there were no double-digit decreases, and decreases on the previous quarter ranged from zero to -2.4%, with most decreases under one percent. There were three terminations, one resignation, one rebrand, and one discontinued.

Publication	Frequency	Total circulation	% change quarter	% change year
Vuk'uzenzele	Mtly	899,950	5.9%	6.0%
PE Express	Wkly, Wed	119,995	0.0%	0.0%
Soweto Urban News	Wkly, Th	109,099	9.1%	0.0%
Sedibeng Ster	Wkly, Th	90,980	0.0%	0.0%
Plainsman	Wkly, Wed	89,536	0.0%	0.0%
Rekord East/Oos	Wkly, Tue	78,763	0.0%	-0.3%
Vukani	Wkly, Wed	78,056	0.0%	0.0%
Mthatha Express	Wkly, Wed	69,995	0.0%	0.0%
Tabletalk	Wkly, Wed	67,844	0.0%	0.0%
Merebank & Chatsworth Tabloid	Wkly, Wed	64,980	0.0%	23.8%
North Coast Rising Sun	Wkly, Wed	64,860	0.0%	0.0%
Randburg Sun	Wkly, Th	60,188	0.4%	0.6%
Rekord Centurion	Wkly, Wed	59,859	-0.1%	-0.6%
Phoenix Tabloid	Wkly, Tue	55,980	0.0%	0.0%
Athlone News	Wkly, Wed	54,151	0.0%	0.0%
Kathorus Mail	F	54,023	0.0%	0.1%
Highway Mail	Wkly, Fr	53,764	-0.2%	-0.5%
Chatsworth Rising Sun	Wkly, Tue	53,050	0.0%	0.0%
The Springfield Weekly Gazette	Wkly, Th	52,480	0.0%	0.0%
City Vision (Khayalitsha)	Wkly, Th	50,587	0.0%	0.0%
Sandton Chronicle	Wkly, Wed	50,167	0.9%	0.2%
People s Post Mitchells Plain	Wkly, Tue	50,000	0.0%	0.0%
YOUReThekwini	Mtly	50,000	0.0%
Thembisan	F	49,191	1.2%	-1.3%
Kempton Express	Wkly, Th	48,896	-0.2%	0.4%
Southern Mail	Wkly, Wed	48,853	0.0%	0.0%
Southern Suburbs Tatler	Wkly, Wed	47,238	0.0%	0.0%
Roodepoort Record	Wkly, Th	46,684	0.0%	0.1%
Bloemfontein Courant (formerly Krant)	Wkly, Th	44,889	0.0%	0.0%
Overport Rising Sun	Wkly, Th	44,850	0.0%	0.0%
Bedfordview & Edenvale News	Wkly, Wed	44,801	-0.3%	2.3%
Boksburg Advertiser	Wkly, Tue	43,123	0.2%	-0.6%
Bloemnuus	Wkly, Th	41,697	-0.8%	0.0%
Ster, South	Wkly, Tue	41,460	0.0%	0.0%
Rosebank Killarney Gazette	Wkly, Tue	41,104	0.5%	0.3%
Ethekwini Times	Wkly, Fr	40,980	0.0%	0.0%
Umlazi Times	Wkly, Th	40,980	0.0%	0.0%
Diamond Fields Advertiser	Wkly, Fr	40,000	0.0%
Rekord North/Noord	Wkly, Th	39,929	-0.1%	-0.2%
Benoni City Times	Wkly, Th	38,001	-0.2%	-0.5%
Alberton Record	Wkly, Wed	37,668	0.3%	0.4%
Go & Express	Wkly, Th	37,278	0.0%	-0.3%
Helderberg Gazette & District Mail	Wkly, Wed	36,996	-0.4%	16.3%
Fourways Review	Wkly, Wed	36,839	0.1%	0.1%
Vista	Wkly, Th	35,248	0.0%	0.1%
Noordkaap Bulletin	Wkly, Th	35,240	-0.2%	2.5%
Maritzburg Echo	Wkly, Th	34,980	0.0%	0.2%
Tongaat & Verulam Tabloid (former Northern Star)	Wkly, Tue	34,980	0.0%	0.0%
Msunduzi Eyethu (former Edendale)	Wkly, Th	34,948	0.0%	0.0%
South Coast Fever	Wkly, Th	34,800	-0.2%	-0.4%
Ridge Times	Wkly, Tue	34,400	0.0%	0.0%
Express	Wkly, Wed	34,059	0.0%	0.1%
Rekord Moot	Wkly, Th	33,560	0.1%	0.0%
Ster, North	Wkly, Tue	32,760	0.0%	0.0%
IDISKI TIMES	Wkly, Tue	31,687	-0.1%
Constantiaberg Bulletin	Wkly, Wed	31,316	0.0%	0.0%
False Bay Echo	Wkly, Wed	30,879	0.0%	0.0%
Atlantic Sun	Wkly, Wed	30,794	0.0%	0.0%
Northcliff & Melville Times	Wkly, Tue	30,767	0.5%	1.0%
Bolander	Wkly, Wed	30,461	0.0%	0.0%
Eyethu Bay Watch (Formerly Baywatch)	Wkly, Wed	30,344	0.9%	0.9%
Tygerburger Table View	Wkly, Wed	30,065	0.0%	-4.6%
UD Express	Wkly, Wed	29,995	0.0%	0.0%
Dolphin Coast Mail	Wkly, Wed	29,960	0.0%	0.1%
East Coast Mail	Wkly, Wed	29,960	0.0%	0.1%
Maritzburg Sun	Wkly, Wed	29,956	0.0%	0.0%
Public Eye	Wkly, Th	29,952	0.0%	0.0%
Rekord Mamelodi	Wkly, Fr	29,947	0.8%	0.0%
Coastal Weekly	Wkly, Th	29,945	0.0%	-0.1%
Rising Sun Lenasia	Wkly, Wed	29,925	0.0%	0.0%
Issue Mangaung	Wkly, Wed	29,900	0.0%	0.1%
North Coast Courier	Wkly, Wed	29,882	0.0%	0.2%
Umlazi Eyethu	Wkly, Fr	29,881	0.0%	0.0%
Germiston City News	Wkly, Tue	29,753	-0.1%	-1.1%
Polokwane Observer.	Wkly, Th	29,738	2.9%	-0.1%
City Vision (Langa/Gugulethu)	Wkly, Th	29,413	0.0%	-9.5%
Rekord Noweto	F	28,950	0.0%	0.0%
Stanger Weekly	Wkly, Wed	28,867	-0.5%	-1.4%
Midrand Reporter	Wkly, Th	28,150	-0.1%	0.1%
People s Post Athlone & Landsdowne	Wkly, Tue	28,000	0.0%	0.0%
Northglen News	Wkly, Fr	27,350	-0.1%	-0.4%
Berea Mail	Wkly, Fr	27,040	-0.1%	-0.4%
Roodepoort Northsider (FormerlyNorthside Chronicle	Wkly, Th	26,768	0.3%	0.4%
Krugersdorp News	Wkly, Wed	26,452	0.4%	0.4%
Springs Advertiser	Wkly, Th	25,804	-0.5%	-1.0%
Southern Courier	Wkly, Tue	25,208	-0.6%	-0.9%
Tygerburger Eersterivier/Blue Downs	Wkly, Wed	25,057	-0.1%	-8.4%
People s Post Woodstock & City	Wkly, Tue	25,000	0.0%	0.0%
People s Post Grassy Park & Retreat	Wkly, Tue	25,000	0.0%	0.0%
Eikestadnuus.	Wkly, Th	23,831	-0.6%	-0.1%
Intshonalanga Eyethu	Wkly, Fr	23,780	0.0%	0.0%
People s Post False Bay	Wkly, Tue	22,000	0.0%	0.0%
Issue, Eastern Free State	Wkly, Th	21,900	0.0%	0.0%
Xpress Times	Wkly, Wed	21,750	-1.0%	-1.0%
Comaro Chronicle	Wkly, Wed	20,984	0.6%	1.2%
Hermanus Times.	Wkly, Wed	20,692	-0.5%	0.1%
Tygerburger Durbanville	Wkly, Wed	20,320	0.1%	-3.1%
Rekord West News/Wes Nuus	F	20,200	0.0%	0.1%
Isolezwe IesiXhosa	Wkly, Th	20,000	0.0%
People s Post Claremont/Rondebosch	Wkly, Tue	20,000	0.0%	0.0%
People s Post Constantia/Wynberg	Wkly, Tue	20,000	0.0%	0.0%
Kouga Express	Wkly, Th	19,995	0.0%	0.0%
Umgungundlovu Eyethu (former Umngeni)	F	19,960	0.0%	0.0%
Bonus Review	Wkly, Wed	19,883	-0.1%	0.2%
Merebank Rising Sun	Wkly, Tue	19,850	0.0%	0.0%
Mid South Coast Rising Sun	Wkly, Tue	19,850	0.0%	0.0%
UGU Eyethu	Wkly, Wed	19,850	-0.3%	0.0%
South Coast Sun	Wkly, Fr	19,780	-0.2%	-0.2%
Representative	Wkly, Mon	19,687	-0.1%	-27.1%
Heidelberg/Nigel Heraut	Wkly, Wed	19,636	0.2%	0.2%
Brakpan Herald	Wkly, Fr	19,352	1.4%	-0.1%
Tygerburger Bellville	Wkly, Wed	19,282	-0.1%	-0.1%
Swartland Gazette (formerly Swartland Monitor).	Wkly, Tue	19,246	-0.7%	0.0%
Tygerburger Kuilsrivier	Wkly, Wed	19,066	-0.1%	-1.5%
Rekord Central/Sentraal	F	18,500	0.0%	0.0%
Tygerburger Brackenfell	Wkly, Wed	18,320	0.3%	-6.1%
Randfontein / Westonaria Herald.	Wkly, Tue	18,190	0.6%	0.6%
TygerBurger De Grendel	Wkly, Wed	18,080	-0.3%	-2.9%
Steelburger	Wkly, Th	17,700	0.0%	0.0%
Southlands Sun	Wkly, Fr	17,664	-0.3%	-0.1%
TygerBurger Tyger Valley	Wkly, Wed	17,095	0.1%	-2.1%
Tygerburger Kraaifontein	Wkly, Wed	17,078	-0.1%	-8.8%
Tygerburger Milnerton	Wkly, Wed	17,055	0.0%	-5.7%
Potchefstroom Herald.	Wkly, Fr	16,938	0.0%	0.0%
Tygerburger Elsiesrivier & Ravensmead	Wkly, Wed	16,045	-0.1%	0.0%
Northern Eyethu	Mtly	15,877	0.1%	0.1%
Weskus Nuus	F	14,995	0.0%	0.1%
Alex News	F	14,790	0.0%	0.0%
Tygerburger Parow	Wkly, Wed	14,066	-0.1%	-2.3%
Tygerburger Goodwood	Wkly, Wed	14,060	-0.1%	-0.4%
Queensburgh News	F	12,853	-0.6%	-0.8%
Herrie	Wkly, Th	12,788	1.6%	4.1%
Vrystaat Kroon	F	12,392	0.3%	2.1%
Breederivier Gazette.	Wkly, Wed	12,134	-2.4%	-0.8%
Village Talk	Wkly, Wed	11,946	0.0%	0.0%
Zululand Eyethu (formerly Eshowe Watch)	Mtly	11,931	0.7%	0.7%
Carletonville Herald.	Wkly, Fr	11,910	0.0%	-0.5%
Highvelder, The	Wkly, Fr	11,760	0.0%	0.0%
Daily Sun On the GO - EC	Wkly, Th	10,995	0.0%	0.0%
City Vision (Lwandle / Nomzamo) former Kasi Vision Helderberg	Wkly, Th	10,000	0.0%	0.0%
Greytown Gazette	Wkly, Mon	9,980	0.0%	0.8%
Hazyview Herald	F	9,795	0.0%	0.0%
Uthukela Eyethu	Wkly, Th	9,716	0.5%	-2.6%
Corridor Gazette	F	9,710	0.0%	0.0%
Daily Sun On the GO - FS	Wkly, Th	7,995	0.0%	0.0%
Ystervark	Wkly, Th	7,925	0.0%	0.0%
Parys Gazette	Wkly, Fr	7,480	0.0%	0.0%
Sentinel News	Wkly, Wed	7,145	0.0%	0.0%
Daily Sun On the GO - KZN	Wkly, Th	5,995	0.0%	0.0%
Capricorn Voice ..	Q	5,881	2.8%	0.0%
Daily Sun On the GO - WC	Wkly, Th	4,995	0.0%	0.0%
The Hilton	Mtly	4,960	0.0%	0.0%
Free State Sun	Wkly, Th	4,937	3.9%	3.9%
Northern Review Weekend	Wkly, Fr	4,850	2.3%
Standerton Advertiser.	Wkly, Tue	4,750	0.0%	0.0%
Maluti News	Wkly, Fr	2,495	0.0%	0.0%
Eastern Cape Rising Sun	Wkly, Tue	Terminated
Maseru Metro	Wkly, Th	Terminated
The Olifants News	F	Terminated
Inner City Gazette	Wkly, Th	Resigned
Southern Star	Wkly, Fr	Rebranded
Komani Karoo Express	Mtly	Discontinued

Danette Breitenbach

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.