The Mail & Guardian Online is South Africa’s biggest standalone online newspaper, according to internet readership figures for June, released by the Online Publishers Association (OPA) and ratings company Nielsen//Netratings this week.
In June this year, the M&G Online attracted a record 298 819 unique users, and unaudited figures show this number to be even higher for July.
The M&G Online‘s readership statistics come behind those of media groups Media 24 and Independent Online — both of which comprise several newspapers and publications — as well as those of MWeb, Ananzi, Supersport Zone and iafrica.com.
“We are very encouraged by the record readership growth that the M&G Online has experienced. It demonstrates that readers in South Africa and around the world are increasingly turning to the M&G Online as their quality news source,” said Matthew Buckland, M&G Online publisher.
“We would like to thank our readers for their continued loyalty and support over the years — without them we would not exist,” he said.
The OPA figures for June also show that South African websites are starting to attract an increasing number of local and international consumers and are proving to be an effective source of business revenue.
The figures show that approximately 60% of internet users are the primary consumers and purchasing decision-makers in their homes.
South African consumers are using the internet at a steadily growing rate, with 4,6-million readers or unique browsers and 115-million page impressions counted in June. This number includes both local and international traffic on OPA member websites, the top 20 online publishers in South Africa. South African traffic makes up 37% of the total readership figure, and 87% of the month’s page impressions.
Increased internet usage means growing revenue streams for advertisers and online retailers.
“We are encouraged by the growth in online advertising on the M&G Online, allowing us to grow and improve our product further,” said Buckland.
According to OPA chairperson Russell Hanly, online retailers and advertisers rely on high traffic levels for their revenue, and these elevated figures enable advertisers to reap the benefits of a high level of targeted exposure.
The OPA’s research shows 25,5% of current online readers are highly educated with postgraduate degrees, and 25,2% are professionals. A total of 18,2% of readers have a combined total annual household income of R400 000 or more, and about 54% are homeowners. These figures represent the largest groupings in each of the categories, an enticing lure for advertisers considering moving online.
South African internet users have historically been sceptical of the effectiveness of privacy and security measures online, but growing readership levels indicate that negative perceptions of the medium are turning around.
“South African internet consumers are now starting to see the value of the internet as an information and consumer tool, and are beginning to trust internet security far more as they increase the number of online transactions they make.
“This growing level of trust among consumers means more online sales for retailers. There is no doubt that this is a growing and sustainable market that is creating a wealth of opportunity for the consumer industry,” added Hanly.
Hanly said the OPA believes that the online industry, including advertising and e-commerce, is experiencing long-term, sustainable growth and predicts that online readership figures will continue to climb.
On the net
Online Publishers Association
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