"We are seeing several interesting trends developing around Playboy," says editor-in-chief, Charl du Plessis. "Our meteoric rise in the social media and digital space is just not slowing down and we are leaving all other men's titles in our wake. This past weekend, we added almost 2 000 fans. More people talk about us than all of our major and minor competitors bundled together. We were the highest-selling digital subscription magazine nationally on the recent figures we received, and our web traffic numbers are rather impressive for such a young publication. The second trend is the one that gets us most excited, namely co-branded advertising. Because Playboy is as much a medium as it is a famous brand, we are seeing more and more advertisers showing interest in developing very specific campaigns for Playboy, where at various levels of subtlety, the iconic Playboy Bunny or some of our very popular Playmates are featured in our clients' ads. Lacing the foam on a cappuccino cup featured in a manufacturer's ad with a chocolate sprinkle Playboy Bunny creates something special. Likewise, Unilever's creative team for Axe, Verve, is having a blast coming up with stunning concepts. This month, they created a fold-out cover where bunnies escape from their laboratory cage to follow the smell of the Axe man. It reads that 'no bunnies were hurt during this shoot'. The twist – these are Playboy Bunnies. And there is more to come."

Playboy also kicks off a special hybrid of activation sampling with Axe in April. "Instead of spending massive amounts of money on samples that make magazines bulky and unruly on the news stand, as we see too often, we suggested a small sample size to Axe, yet with personal endorsement of our Playmates backing it up. We produced a quantity of magazines with samples only for our Playmates' magazine signings. The Playmates open the bag and hand each fan his Axe sample personally in order to get to the centerfold for a signing. With our photographers on hand, as well as the fans' own phone pics that soon make it onto their Facebook page, Axe and us collectively manage to amplify the sampling exercise to reach even a wider audience than what would have been possible through simple inserts in a whole print-run. The concept saves our advertisers plenty of money and gives them much wider reach. And we have growing numbers of Playmates available to engage each month. It may change the way that sampling is done in the men's magazine market completely, but then again, that is what Playboy is about, shifting the boundaries all the time," says Du Plessis.

The April edition includes an interview with Vinnige Sarel van der Merwe, South Africa's most famous racing driver, as well as 20 Questions with David Lee Roth of Van Halen, who just released their first new album in 26 years. In an edition laced with content, there are features on big wave surfing, ice-trucks, the futuristic world of digital illustrator Dan Luvisi, an in-depth look at rugby, soccer and cricket SA's coaching saga, and a lifestyle section that found a way of showcasing Cary Grant and the world's top snowboarders in its fashion and grooming sections. "Playboy is happy man space, and we take the brand to our audience as no-one else in the market. We are beyond the novelty factor by now, and we are growing a solid base of readers who really gets what our current Y&R campaign states unequivocally, namely that Playboy is more than just a centerfold."