While magazines grew 1.5% in the year, buoyed by growth in custom magazines of 12%, the Audit Bureau of Circulation’s (ABC) second quarter of 2026 for magazines shows a decline from the previous quarter.
This follows a four-quarter run of increases in total circulation and an eight consecutive quarter growth in custom magazines, which was the only sector to show growth over a year.
Consumer magazines (-12%) all registered year-on-year declines after stabilising somewhat in 2025.
Total newspaper and magazine circulation fell 2% from the first quarter and 3% year-on-year to 8.2 million.
After growing members in the previous year, the number of titles registered with the ABC fell to 366, taking total membership close to where it was at the beginning of 2025. The relatively consistent number of titles being published suggests a decline in per-title print orders and copy sales.
Encouragingly, all member titles checked in the quarter were given clear audits reflecting a strong adherence to quality standards set by the ABC.
Consumer magazines
Glamour and Women's Health were the two standouts on the previous quarter in the Women's General category, which had some increases on the previous quarter and prior year.
Home, Motoring and Sports & Hobbies are standout categories for increases on the previous quarter and prior year.
| Arts, Culture and Heritage | | | | | |
| Publication | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| Jewish Life | Mtly | 8,246 | 8,246 | 0% | -2.2% |
| Business and News | | | | | |
| BusinessBrief | AltM | 3,231 | 29,292 | No Issue | -1.5% |
| Fast Company | Q | 2,000 | 3,426 | No Issue | 70.7% |
| Financial Mail | Wkly, Th | 3,178 | 14,934 | -9.0% | -14.1% |
| Forbes Africa | AltM | 4,089 | 11,436 | -1.7% | -4.1% |
| SA Real Estate Investor Magazine | Mtly | 0 | Resigned | | |
| The Big Issue Magazine | 11xA | 0 | Resigned | | |
| Conservation and Wildlife | | | | | |
| African Birdlife | AltM | 206 | 5,891 | 1.5% | -0.8% |
| Family Interest | | | | | |
| Huisgenoot | Wkly, Th | 1,715 | 55,141 | -8.6% | -20.9% |
| Plus 50 | 6xA | 838 | 4,181 | -20.2% | 8.9% |
| You | Wkly, Th | 1,517 | 24,125 | -12.1% | -28.2% |
| Farming | | | | | |
| Farm.co.za | AltM | 9,300 | 9,300 | 1.5% | 14.0% |
| Farmer's Weekly | Wkly, Fr | 5,279 | 9,679 | -4.6% | 48.0% |
| Grond tot Mond | Mtly | 16,012 | 16,012 | -7.9% | -34.0% |
| Landbouweekblad | F | 319 | 10,567 | 1.2% | -9.5% |
| Marktoe | Mtly | 14,340 | 14,340 | -1.8% | -2.1% |
| Health & Wellbeing | | | | | |
| Grow to Eat | 3xA | 375 | 8,640 | No Issue | -15.9% |
| Home | | | | | |
| Conde Nast House & Garden | 6xA | 3,314 | 8,990 | 9.8% | 35.2% |
| Essential Flavours | Q | 4,274 | 5,760 | 28.6% | -28.3% |
| Food&Home Magazine | Q | 4,597 | 14,700 | 0.2% | 0.6% |
| Lose It | 6xA | 0 | Discontinued | | |
| SA Home Owner | 11xA | 5,442 | 15,348 | 1.9% | 3.8% |
| Sarie Kos / Food | Q | 0 | No Issue | | |
| The Gardener / Die Tuinier | Mtly | 5,220 | 26,388 | 3.3% | -2.6% |
| Tuis Home | 8xA | 2,082 | 45,922 | -7.5% | -13.2% |
| Visi | 6xA | 681 | 8,591 | 5.3% | 2.3% |
| Leisure | | | | | |
| Joburg Style | 3xA | 0 | No Issue | | |
| Wanted | Mtly | 22,755 | 22,755 | -9.5% | 48.5% |
| YourLuxury Africa | Mtly | 24,102 | 24,102 | 1.0% | 21.7% |
| Male | | | | | |
| GQ | 6xA | 3,680 | 4,657 | 15.7% | 22.4% |
| Men's Health | AltM | 2,288 | 9,593 | -19.8% | -5.1% |
| Motoring | | | | | |
| Car | Mtly | 4,687 | 24,331 | 1.3% | 1.6% |
| Driven Magazine | Mtly | 5,861 | 5,861 | 4.0% | -2.2% |
| Parenting | | | | | |
| Baba & Kleuter | Q | 0 | No Issue | | No Issue |
| Baby's and Beyond | Q | 7,348 | 7,643 | -16.3% | -42.6% |
| Your Pregnancy and Baby | AltM | 0 | No Issue | | |
| Sport and Hobby | | | | | |
| Compleat Golfer | Mtly | 0 | No Issue | | |
| Kickoff Magazine | Mtly | 12,772 | 20,165 | 9.3% | New Member |
| SA Rugby | Mtly | 971 | 3,288 | 15.3% | 17.9% |
| Travel, Tourism & Hospitality | | | | | |
| Cape Etc | 3xA | 4,034 | 5,977 | 1.6% | -18.8% |
| Getaway | Mtly | 1,086 | 8,445 | -3.1% | 7.6% |
| go! Drive & Camp and Weg! Ry & Sleep | AltM | 50 | 20,590 | 6.2% | -12.2% |
| Inbound SA | Mtly | 9,899 | 9,899 | -0.5% | -0.1% |
| Weg / Go Platteland | Q | 180 | 12,233 | -5.7% | -21.0% |
| Weg/Go | AltM | 799 | 28,095 | -5.3% | -18.2% |
| Woman's General | | | | | |
| BONA Magazine | Mtly | 2,654 | 9,373 | 4.7% | -15.2% |
| Fairlady | AltM | 1,655 | 19,384 | -11.7% | -21.1% |
| Glamour | 6xA | 4,795 | 6,972 | 17.1% | 26.8% |
| Kuier | F | 717 | 26,986 | -8.0% | -21.3% |
| Rooi Rose Magazine | Mtly | 6,488 | 25,325 | -1.2% | 3.9% |
| Sarie | AltM | 2,305 | 41,118 | -6.6% | -12.8% |
| True Love | Q | 487 | 5,585 | -2.1% | -18.3% |
| Women & Home Magazine | Mtly | 4,728 | 19,328 | 1.6% | -0.7% |
| Women's Health | AltM | 998 | 10,104 | 10.1% | -1.8% |
| Total | | 221,594 | 722,718 | -1.5% | -12.0% |
B2B magazines
For a long time, this category has been a highlight in the magazine sector. Then, in Q3 and Q4 2025, and in Q1 2026, it stalled. This quarter, it shows a small decline from the previous quarter.
This quarter, as in Q1 2026, the stand categories are Engineering- Other and Management. Other categories that had some good increases on the previous quarter and prior year are Health & Wellbeing, Civil construction and Mining & Quarrying.
| Agricultural | | | | | |
| Publication | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| OVK Nuus/News | 4xA | 4,690 | 4,690 | 0% | -1.7% |
| SA Graan / Grain | Mtly | 15,596 | 15,596 | -9.5% | -24.4% |
| Wineland | Mtly | 2,841 | 2,927 | 0.8% | 0.9% |
| Architecture | | | | | |
| Floors in Africa | 7xA | 11,770 | 11,770 | -4.0% | -2.5% |
| Leading Architect & Design | 6xA | 5,128 | 5,132 | -1.3% | -2.9% |
| SA Building Review | Ann | 0 | No Issue | | No Issue |
| To Build | 4xA | 7,460 | 8,336 | -0.3% | -15.3% |
| Walls & Roofs in Africa | 7xA | 11,770 | 11,770 | -4.0% | -2.5% |
| Automotive | | | | | |
| SA Treads | Q | 4,340 | 4,340 | 219.1% | No Issue |
| Civil Construction | | | | | |
| Civil Engineering | Mtly | 15,164 | 15,165 | 2.8% | 3.2% |
| Construction World | Mtly | 12,172 | 12,172 | 1.1% | -26.8% |
| IMIESA | 10xA | 10,381 | 10,381 | -0.7% | -2.7% |
| Communications | | | | | |
| SA Profile | Ann | 0 | No Issue | | |
| Service | Q | 4,965 | 4,965 | 0.1% | 0% |
| Electrical Engineering | | | | | |
| Electricity & Control | Mtly | 8,302 | 8,302 | 4.3% | -18.0% |
| ESI Africa | 2xA | 0 | No Issue | | |
| Sparks Electrical News | Mtly | 10,114 | 10,114 | 3.0% | -29.9% |
| Engineering - Other | | | | | |
| Capital Equipment News | Mtly | 8,600 | 8,600 | 1.5% | -28.2% |
| Dataweek | Mtly | 2,725 | 2,725 | -1.0% | -1.6% |
| Go2Energy Technical Journal | 2xA | 0 | No Issue | | |
| MechChem Africa | AltM | 8,264 | 8,264 | 6.2% | -22.8% |
| Motion Control | Q | 1,731 | 1,731 | 18.9% | 3.0% |
| Plumbing Africa | Mtly | 10,902 | 10,918 | 2.0% | 0.5% |
| Refrigeration and Airconditioning | Mtly | 7,071 | 7,073 | -1.0% | 19.9% |
| SA Instrumentation & Control | Mtly | 3,912 | 3,912 | 12.4% | 9.5% |
| Water & Sanitation Africa | 6xA | 9,484 | 9,484 | 2.1% | 16.3% |
| Health and Wellbeing | | | | | |
| Fire Protection | Q | 3,068 | 3,068 | 12.3% | 45.7% |
| Medical Chronicle | 11xA | 38,839 | 38,839 | 5.1% | 7.5% |
| Modern Medicine Magazine | 6xA | 0 | Resigned | Resigned | |
| SMART Security Solutions | 8xA | 3,272 | 3,272 | -16.0% | -21.3% |
| South African Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Review | 11xA | 2,554 | 2,557 | -4.3% | -4.4% |
| The Specialist Forum Journal | 11xA | 34,307 | 34,307 | 12.7% | 14.7% |
| Industry | | | | | |
| Analytical Reporter | 6xA | 4,239 | 4,239 | -0.3% | -4.7% |
| Cold Link Africa | 8xA | 3,824 | 3,826 | -0.2% | 4.4% |
| Eastern Cape Business | Ann | 4,964 | 4,964 | No Issue | 0% |
| Free State Business | Ann | 4,967 | 4,967 | No Issue | |
| KwaZulu Natal Business | Ann | 0 | No Issue | | |
| North West Business | Ann | 4,966 | 4,966 | No Issue | |
| Northern Cape Business | Ann | 4,959 | 4,959 | No Issue | -0.1% |
| Opportunity (Exploring Business Prospects in SA | Q | 4,963 | 4,963 | 0.3% | 0.2% |
| South African Food Review | 11xA | 3,122 | 3,129 | -0.9% | -3.3% |
| The Journal of African Business | Q | 1,968 | 1,968 | -60.4% | -60.4% |
| Information and Computer Technology | | | | | |
| Brainstorm | 11xA | 3,891 | 7,948 | 3.3% | 5.4% |
| Management | | | | | |
| Black Business Quarterly | Q | 37,176 | 37,176 | 0.5% | 9.0% |
| Blue Chip | Q | 7,454 | 7,454 | 7.3% | -0.1% |
| ESG - Future of Sustainabilty | Ann | 21,591 | 21,591 | No Issue | 34.3% |
| FA News | AltM | 2,229 | 2,378 | 25.8% | -17.3% |
| Leadership | Mtly | 36,702 | 36,702 | 0.5% | -1.4% |
| Money Marketing | Mtly | 6,312 | 6,312 | 3.0% | 1.1% |
| Public Sector Leaders | Mtly | 21,514 | 21,514 | -0.4% | 51.1% |
| South African Business Intergrator | Q | 8,476 | 9,327 | 3.4% | -5.3% |
| Top 500 : South Africa's Best Managed Companies | Ann | 0 | No Issue | | |
| Top Women Leaders | Ann | 0 | No Issue | | |
| Mining & Quarrying | | | | | |
| African Mining Inc. Mining Mirror | Mtly | 19,772 | 19,809 | 0% | -8.6% |
| Earthbroker | Mtly | 0 | Suspended | | |
| Engineering News & Mining Weekly | Wkly, Fr | 22,523 | 24,627 | -0.3% | 14.8% |
| Mining Review Africa | 6xA | 4,814 | 4,814 | 2.6% | 1.5% |
| Modern Mining | Mtly | 8,234 | 8,234 | 1.2% | -19.0% |
| Modern Quarrying | Q | 4,616 | 4,616 | 0.7% | -33.5% |
| Retail | | | | | |
| DIY And Industrial Trade News | Mtly | 7,642 | 7,642 | -1.2% | -6.3% |
| Pharmacy Magazine (former Frontshop | 11xA | 24,709 | 24,709 | 2.0% | 5.1% |
| Supermarket & Retailer | Mtly | 22,417 | 22,417 | -2.0% | 3.9% |
| Transport and Logistics | | | | | |
| Freight News Features | Mtly | 5,245 | 5,384 | -2.3% | 0% |
| Total | | 562,711 | 571,045 | -0.5% | -7.7% |
Custom magazines
The good news category for several quarters, this category sees subdued figures with only small increases on the previous quarter and prior year.
| Health & Wellbeing | | | | | |
| Publication | Frequency | Free circulation | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| SA Pharmaceutical Journal | 10xA | 6,288 | 6,288 | 3.5% | -11.8% |
| South African Medical Journal | Mtly | 12,220 | 12,220 | 0% | 3.3% |
| Home | | | | | |
| Living Space | Mtly | 0 | Ceased Publishing | | |
| My Kitchen | Mtly | 4,883 | 148,185 | 0.9% | 33.7% |
| Industry Specific | | | | | |
| J S E | Q | 8,071 | 8,677 | -22.2% | -41.4% |
| Sea Rescue | 3xA | 0 | No Issue | | |
| Servamus | Mtly | 64 | 4,678 | -6.0% | -15.1% |
| The Journal of the SAIMM | Mtly | 2,317 | 2,317 | -9.1% | -2.2% |
| In-flight | | | | | |
| In Flight Magazine | Mtly | 61,740 | 61,740 | -17.9% | -29.1% |
| Leisure | | | | | |
| Lush Fine Living | Q | 0 | No Issue | | |
| Private Edition | 5xA | 9,982 | 9,982 | 0.1% | -0.4% |
| Male | | | | | |
| Man | Mtly | 3,282 | 106,052 | 4.1% | 24.8% |
| Professional | | | | | |
| Accountancy SA | Mtly | 60,200 | 60,200 | -5.7% | -10.1% |
| De Rebus | 11xA | 59,811 | 59,816 | -1.2% | 1.2% |
| Retail | | | | | |
| Club Magazine | Mtly | 6,936 | 388,895 | 9.3% | 34.2% |
| Jet Club | 7xA | 18,505 | 374,218 | -4.0% | 22.3% |
| Sport and Hobby | | | | | |
| Game & Hunt/Wild & Jag | Mtly | 63,940 | 64,329 | -1.8% | -1.6% |
| SoccerClub | Mtly | 3,150 | 75,209 | -12.1% | 6.0% |
| SportsClub | Mtly | 2,569 | 130,212 | 4.7% | 15.8% |
| Wildland Magazine | Mtly | 76,523 | 76,523 | 1.9% | 2.1% |
| Travel, Tourism & Hospitality | | | | | |
| Premier | Mtly | 6,976 | 6,976 | -1.8% | -5.4% |
| Rove SA | Q | 6,850 | 7,842 | -0.2% | -41.0% |
| Woman's General | | | | | |
| Balanced Life | Mtly | 2,321 | 68,194 | -13.7% | 22.6% |
| Youth | | | | | |
| ClubX | Mtly | 5,400 | 154,002 | -2.2% | 22.1% |
| Kids Super Club | Mtly | 2,974 | 117,034 | -3.1% | 23.9% |
| Total | | 425,002 | 1,943,589 | -4.2% | 12.1% |
Free magazines
A normal showing for this category with some incremental increases, with the majority at zero percent increase/decrease.
| Publication | Frequency | Total circulation | % change quarter | % change year |
| Botswana Advertiser | F | 99,965 | 0% | 0% |
| Get It (Ballito to Umhlanga | Mtly | 11,985 | 0% | 0.1% |
| Get It (Bloemfontein | Mtly | 6,890 | 0% | 0% |
| Get It (Highway | Mtly | 11,877 | 1.2% | 0.6% |
| Get It (Jo'burg South | Mtly | 11,800 | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| Get It (Jo'burg West | Mtly | 10,916 | 4.2% | 3.0% |
| Get It (Northern Suburbs Joburg | Mtly | 11,900 | 0% | 0.4% |
| Get It (Pretoria | Mtly | 11,759 | -0.3% | -0.4% |
| Get It (Lowveld | Mtly | Ceased Publishing | | |
| Umbele Magazine | 6xA | Terminated | Terminated | |
| Total | | 177,092 | -3.2% | -8.0% |
Tables by Andre Rademan © Bizcommunity
