Sr0.8La0.2Zn0.2Fe11.8O19/poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) composite fiber precursors were prepared by the sol-gel assisted electrospinning. Subsequently, the M-type ferrite Sr0.8La0.2Zn0.2Fe11.8O19 nanofibers with diameters about 120 nm were obtained by calcination of these precursors at different heat treatment conditions. The precursor and resultant Sr0.8La0.2Zn0.2Fe11.8O19 nanofibers were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer and vibrating sample magnetometer. With the calcination temperature increased up to 1,000 A degrees C for 2 h or the holding time prolonged to 12 h at 900 A degrees C, the Sr0.8La0.2Zn0.2Fe11.8O19 particles gradually grow into a hexagonal elongated plate-like morphology due to the dimensional control along the nanofiber length. These elongated plate-like particles will be linked one by one to form the nanofiber with a necklace-like morphology. The magnetic properties of the Sr0.8La0.2Zn0.2Fe11.8O19 nanofibers are closely related to grain sizes, impurities and defects in the ferrite, which are influenced by the calcination temperature, holding time and heating rate. After calcined at 900 A degrees C for 12 h with a heating rate of 3 A degrees C/min, the optimized magnetic properties are achieved with the specific saturation magnetization 75.0 A m(2) kg(-1) and coercivity 426.3 kA m(-1) for the Sr0.8La0.2Zn0.2Fe11.8O19 nanofibers.