Press release Quarter 4, 2023
The ABC will release its audited circulation figures for the period October 2023 to December 2023 on Wednesday, February 21, 2024.
The collective circulation of all members shows a year-on-year decline of 7.4%. This corresponds with ABC’s membership, which decreased by 10%, dropping from 448 in 2022 to 403 by the fourth quarter of 2023.
Newspaper circulation demonstrates stability despite a 5.7% year-on-year decline, while Q4 experienced a marginal drop of -1.5% compared to Q3, culminating in a combined circulation of 6,223,225. This trend aligns with a 5% annual decrease in membership. Although daily newspaper circulations exhibit sharper declines, there’s a noteworthy uptick in the circulation of the Daily Maverick growing 3% yoy .
The magazine sector shows a significant annual decline of 12%, reflecting a 16% drop in magazine membership. Consumer magazines saw a decrease of 12%, with circulation across all categories declining compared to Q3. However, there were notable exceptions: Custom magazine circulation increased by 25%, business-to-business by 6%, and free magazines by 1% in contrast to Q3. Sporting magazines witnessed robust growth, largely attributed to the successful Rugby World Cup in France. Additionally, several consumer and custom magazines demonstrated circulation increases.
It’s worth mentioning the positive trend in total ABC circulation, which rose by 1.3% compared to Q3. It’s important to consider that quarterly circulation is influenced by publication frequency. The total circulation for Q4 reached 9,349,836, reflecting this growth.
Quarter-on-quarter, ABC membership decreased slightly from 405 to 403 in total, while year-on-year total membership declined from 448 to 403. Newspaper membership saw a decrease of 2 members, while magazine membership increased by 1 member. Other memberships decreased by 1 member during this period
In summary, in 2023, publishers appeared to favour adjusting publication frequency and reducing print volumes over shutting down their publications altogether.
André van Tonder President: ABC South Africa