Consumers under pressure, flips the page on magazines

Analysis on happenings in the magazine industry in light of pressure on consumers

Pretoria, 18/11/2013. The release of the Audit Bureau of Circulations of SA's (ABC) third quarter report showed an 11,9% drop in circulation of consumer magazines in the past year. Consumers appear to be finding magazines a luxury they can scant afford in an economic environment that’s remained harsh and unforgiving.

According to the latest FNB/BER Consumer Confidence Index (CCI), consumers’ outlook on the economy has worsened to the lowest point since 1993. There is an expectation among consumers that the economy will continue to worsen in the next 12 months. In such a torrid climate, consumers are likely to cut back on items perceived to be non-essential.

A move into the digital space has provided a variety of magazines the opportunity to grab market share in the burgeoning space of digital content delivery. However, the uptake in South Africa has been relatively slow when compared to more advanced knowledge economies. The fact is that the print format remains a fundamental element of media companies’ market, and will likely remain so for the foreseeable future.

Then again, if the goal is to move customers toward a digital solution, this will not happen overnight and one runs into the potential obstacle of habit, preference and accessibility. Will all your customers be willing, or able, to go digital? The online advertising space also presents unique challenges, as the landscape differs from traditional print, and reliability of ad revenue can make or break a publication.

Opportunities are there, but it will take a deft and nuanced approach to navigate the stormy waters of the print media industry.

The research is based on the analysis of all 306 reports in 6South African TV news programmes from 1 January 2013 to 31 October 2013. For more information, please contact the principal researcher Hanno Willers at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 012 369 7760.