Nona

Nona is a Malaysian women's lifestyle magazine published primarily in the Malay language. The magazine began publication in November 1986 under Kumpulan Media Karangkraf Sdn Bhd, commonly known as Karangkraf, a Shah Alam-based Malaysian publishing group. It serves a female audience broadly identified as women aged 25 to 45 and combines celebrity and society coverage with fashion, beauty, lifestyle, interviews, and personal success stories. The publication occupies a premium, aspirational position within Malaysia's Malay-language magazine market. Its editorial identity is associated with coverage of Malaysian royalty, social figures, prominent celebrities, influencers, and other public personalities. Alongside profiles and interviews, Nona presents fashion and beauty trends, lifestyle features, and stories framed around achievement and aspiration. Its tagline, “Realiti Impian Wanita,” translates approximately as “The Reality of Women's Dreams” and expresses the magazine's emphasis on women's ambitions, status, achievement, and personal development. Nona has operated across both print and digital formats. A digital presence was established in 2012, extending the brand beyond its monthly print edition. According to audience figures cited for June 2020, the print magazine circulated approximately 30,000 copies per month, while the digital website recorded about 2.16 million visitors and 8.29 million page views. The same reference material reported approximately 274,000 Facebook followers, an average reach of 1.01 million, and approximately 256,000 Instagram followers at that time. These figures indicate that the digital operation had become a substantial part of the brand's audience and distribution model. On 2 May 2018, Karangkraf and Astro Malaysia Holdings entered a joint venture to establish Nu Ideaktiv Sdn Bhd. The new content company was created to manage Nona and other magazines associated with the participating media groups. This arrangement placed Nona within a broader media-content operation while retaining its established magazine identity. The brand has also developed an awards platform. In 2018, it launched the Nona Superwoman Award to recognize individuals, particularly women, whose work had made notable contributions in different fields and to social causes. Rafidah Aziz, a former Malaysian cabinet minister, was the inaugural recipient. At the 2020 edition, Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali was the principal recipient, while Noor Hisham Abdullah received a special Nona Frontliner Award for his role as Malaysia's Director-General of Health during the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2021, Nona and Ideaktiv introduced the Nona Superhero Award, extending the recognition concept to notable men. The first recipients included Noor Hisham Abdullah, who had previously received the 2020 frontliner recognition, and politician Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman. Nona has received recognition in the Magazine Publishers Association Malaysia's MPA Magazine Awards. Its documented results include a Silver Award in the 2014 Women—Bahasa Melayu category and a Bronze Award in the corresponding category in 2016. The available reference material does not provide a complete account of the magazine's editorial leadership, current circulation, ownership percentages, or financial performance. Nona is best understood as a Malaysian media brand rather than a consumer-staples or food brand.

Nona began publishing in November 1986 as a Malay-language women's magazine from Kumpulan Media Karangkraf Sdn Bhd, a publishing company based in Shah Alam, Selangor. From the outset, its editorial proposition centered on women's lifestyle content, including fashion, beauty, celebrity, society, interviews, and stories about achievement. The magazine's coverage of Malaysian royalty, social elites, celebrities, and later influencers helped establish an aspirational identity within the country's Malay-language media market. The brand's stated audience is women aged approximately 25 to 45. Its tagline, “Realiti Impian Wanita,” or “The Reality of Women's Dreams,” reflects its focus on aspiration, personal accomplishment, public visibility, and lifestyle ideals. Rather than operating solely as a general-interest periodical, Nona combines service-oriented content such as fashion and beauty trends with personality-led editorial material and success narratives. Nona expanded into digital publishing in 2012. The online edition and website gave the brand a continuous publishing channel beyond the monthly print cycle and enabled it to distribute content through social media. Audience data cited for June 2020 reported monthly print circulation of about 30,000 copies, 2.16 million digital visitors, and 8.29 million page views. The same figures included approximately 274,000 Facebook followers, an average Facebook reach of 1.01 million, and approximately 256,000 Instagram followers. These measurements show the importance of digital reach to Nona's later media model, although they do not establish current audience levels. A significant organizational change took place on 2 May 2018, when Karangkraf and Astro Malaysia Holdings formed Nu Ideaktiv Sdn Bhd. The joint venture was intended to manage Nona and other magazine titles connected with the participating groups. Through Nu Ideaktiv, Nona became part of a wider content-management structure linked to both a publishing group and a major Malaysian media company. The magazine broadened its public role through the Nona Superwoman Award, first presented in 2018. The program recognized individuals, particularly women, whose work had contributed to society or excelled in different fields. Rafidah Aziz received the inaugural award. In 2020, Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali was the principal honoree, and Noor Hisham Abdullah received a special Nona Frontliner Award for his public-health leadership during the COVID-19 crisis. In December 2021, Nona and Ideaktiv extended the awards portfolio with the Nona Superhero Award. This program recognized notable men and was presented as a continuation or counterpart to the Superwoman initiative. The inaugural recipients included Noor Hisham Abdullah and Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman. The awards demonstrate how Nona's brand activity extends beyond magazine publishing into event-led recognition and public storytelling. Nona also received industry recognition through the MPA Magazine Awards of the Magazine Publishers Association Malaysia. It won a Silver Award in the 2014 Women—Bahasa Melayu category and a Bronze Award in the same category in 2016. The available sources do not document the magazine's founder, editorial staff, current operating figures, or detailed corporate governance. Its documented history nevertheless shows a long-running Malaysian print title that developed a digital platform, became part of the Nu Ideaktiv content operation, and built a public-facing awards franchise around its women's lifestyle positioning.

1. 2021Nona Superhero Award is introduced

   Nona and Ideaktiv launch a recognition program focused on prominent men as an extension of the Superwoman Award concept.

   Source
2. 2018Nu Ideaktiv joint venture is established

   Karangkraf and Astro Malaysia Holdings establish Nu Ideaktiv Sdn Bhd to manage Nona and other magazine properties.

   Source
3. 2018Nona Superwoman Award is introduced

   Nona begins presenting an award honoring outstanding individuals, especially women, for contributions in various fields and to social causes.

   Source
4. 2016MPA Magazine Awards Bronze Award

   Nona receives a Bronze Award in the Women—Bahasa Melayu category at the MPA Magazine Awards.

   Source
5. 2014MPA Magazine Awards Silver Award

   Nona receives a Silver Award in the Women—Bahasa Melayu category at the MPA Magazine Awards.

   Source
6. 2012Digital publication begins

   Nona expands its publishing presence online, supplementing its established print edition with digital editorial content.

   Source
7. 1986Nona begins publication

   The Malay-language women's magazine starts monthly publication under Kumpulan Media Karangkraf Sdn Bhd in Shah Alam, Malaysia.

   Source

A premium, aspirational Malay-language women's lifestyle media brand for Malaysian women, combining celebrity and society coverage with fashion, beauty, lifestyle, interviews, achievement stories, and public-recognition programs.

• Nona print magazineMonthly women's lifestyle magazine1986

  The core Nona product is a monthly Malay-language print magazine aimed broadly at Malaysian women aged 25 to 45. Its editorial mix includes coverage of royalty and social figures, celebrity interviews, fashion, beauty, lifestyle trends, and stories about achievement and personal success. The print edition has historically been the foundation of the brand's identity and circulation.

• Nona digital platformDigital magazine and editorial website2012

  Introduced in 2012, Nona's digital operation extends the magazine's editorial brand through online articles and social distribution. It carries the publication's lifestyle, celebrity, fashion, beauty, and interview themes in a format capable of reaching audiences between print issues. Reference figures from June 2020 indicate substantial website traffic and social-media reach, although no current figures are supplied.

• Nona Superwoman AwardAwards program2018

  The Nona Superwoman Award is an event and recognition platform created to honor outstanding individuals, particularly women, whose work has contributed to society or excelled in different fields. Its documented recipients include Rafidah Aziz in 2018 and Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali in 2020. A special Frontliner Award was given to Noor Hisham Abdullah in 2020.

• Nona Superhero AwardAwards program2021

  Introduced by Nona and Ideaktiv in December 2021, the Nona Superhero Award extends the publication's recognition activities to prominent men. The inaugural recipients cited in the reference material include Noor Hisham Abdullah and Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

• 2021Launch of the Nona Superhero AwardProduct launch

  Following the Superwoman Award, Nona and Ideaktiv expanded the recognition franchise to include prominent men.

  What changed. They introduced the Nona Superhero Award in December 2021, with Noor Hisham Abdullah and Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman among the inaugural recipients.

  Aftermath. The program broadened Nona's event and recognition activities beyond its traditional women's magazine focus.

  Source
• 2018Nona enters the Nu Ideaktiv content joint ventureM&A

  Karangkraf and Astro Malaysia Holdings sought a dedicated content company to manage Nona and other magazine titles.

  What changed. The two media groups established Nu Ideaktiv Sdn Bhd on 2 May 2018, placing Nona under the joint venture's content-management structure.

  Aftermath. Nona continued as a recognizable magazine brand while operating within a broader media and content portfolio.

  Source
• 2018Launch of the Nona Superwoman AwardOther

  Nona sought to extend its women's lifestyle identity into public recognition of achievement and social contribution.

  What changed. The magazine introduced the Nona Superwoman Award and presented the inaugural honor to Rafidah Aziz.

  Aftermath. The awards platform continued with later recognitions, including Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali and a special frontliner honor for Noor Hisham Abdullah in 2020.

  Source
• 2012Expansion into digital publishingStrategy

  Nona had established itself as a monthly print magazine but needed a channel for more frequent publishing and broader audience access.

  What changed. The brand began publishing digitally online, creating a website and social-media presence alongside the print edition.

  Aftermath. By June 2020, the digital platform was reported to attract millions of visitors and page views, with sizeable Facebook and Instagram audiences.

  Source

• 2021Nona and Ideaktiv introduce the Nona Superhero Award

  Nona and Ideaktiv created the Nona Superhero Award as a counterpart to the Superwoman program, recognizing prominent men. Initial recipients included Noor Hisham Abdullah and Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

  Product launch
  Source
• 2020Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali receives the Nona Superwoman Award

  Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali was the principal recipient of the 2020 Nona Superwoman Award, while Noor Hisham Abdullah received a special Nona Frontliner Award.

  Other
  Source
• 2018Karangkraf and Astro establish Nu Ideaktiv joint venture

  Kumpulan Media Karangkraf and Astro Malaysia Holdings formed Nu Ideaktiv Sdn Bhd to manage Nona and other magazine properties associated with the groups.

  M&A
  Source
• 2018Nona launches the Nona Superwoman Award

  Nona introduced an awards program honoring outstanding individuals, especially women, for contributions across different fields and to social causes. Rafidah Aziz was the inaugural recipient.

  Other
  Source

1. Nona (magazine)