Weekend newspaper circulation fell by almost 7,5% in the past year, according to an Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) report released on Wednesday.
Combined circulation fell from 2,34m copies from July to September last year, to 2,16m copies this year, a decline of 175 000 copies, according to the ABC’s third quarter report.
Rapport suffered the biggest decline, shedding 37 307 copies (16,9%) from a total circulation of 220 494 last year. The circulation of the country’s biggest selling weekend newspaper, the Sunday Times, shrank by 7%, while City Press shed 10,4% and the Saturday Beeld dropped 13,6%.
Of 28 weekend titles, only two increased their circulation: the Independent on Saturday, up by 0,8%, and Isolezwe, up by 7,6%.
The Sunday Sun’s circulation decreased by 11,2% and Sunday World shed 17,2%. Daily newspaper circulation also declined, but not to the same degree. Overall circulation fell by 5,8%.
The circulation of the Daily Sun, the country’s top-selling daily newspaper, decreased by 13,4% to 291 132 copies.
The Star’s circulation declined by 4,6%. Others that lost circulation were the Citizen (8,9%), Beeld (8,2%), Die Burger (5,9%), Business Day (8,3%), Cape Argus (6,7%), the Herald (4,9%), the Sowetan (2%), and Die Son (8,4%).
Circulation increased at only three dailies: the Times, Isolezwe, and the Daily Dispatch.
Meanwhile, consumer magazine circulation in South Africa fell by 11,9% in the past year. Combined circulation fell from 6,88m copies from July to September last year, to 6,05m copies this year.
In the women’s general category, Real Magazine and Cosmopolitan were the biggest losers, shedding 44,3% and 25,6% respectively.
The big winners were Woman and Home, and Kuier magazines, which increased their circulation by 23% and 29,9% respectively.
In the male category, Tech-Smart Magazine and FHM saw the largest declines, dropping by 45,9% and 26,9%. GQ, Men’s Health, Popular Mechanics and Stuff also saw their circulations shrink.
In the business and news section, Finweek suffered the biggest decline, dropping to 14 013 copies from 21 978 copies last year, a decline of 36,2%. The Financial Mail fell by 10% and Forbes Africa by 21,2%. Entrepreneur, Noseweek and Succeed magazine were among the five titles in the sector that were able to grow their circulations. — Sapa