by SAARF & MarkLives (@marklives) The SAARF/MarkLives #Top40TVratings Chart reveals the best-watched shows of the week before, where it ran and how many South Africans tuned in to watch.
This collaboration between the South African Audience Research Foundation (SAARF) and MarkLives will be a weekly roundup of South Africa’s TV audience viewership, helping you to see which were the most popular shows to air in the previous week.
We offer two tables, the first covering all households — free-to-air viewing (the various SABC channels and e.tv) as well as the DStv platform — and the second charting the best-watched shows on the DStv network of channels only.
For the week of 28 January 2014 to 3 February 2014, Generations topped our National chart (Generations is broadcast on SABC 1 but moved to SABC 2 for the duration of the Orange African Nations Championship). Society was the top-watched show on SABC 2. See the full table below.
How to read the tables:
AMR% refers to the number of people in a target market who were watching an event ie programme, expressed as a percentage of the population for that demographic: “On average, 16.3% of adults aged 15+ who watched TV from 28 Jan-3 Feb 2014 watched Society on SABC 1”.
AMR is the number of people in a target market watching a specific event ie programme per minute, expressed in absolute figures: “On average, 1, 541, 066 adults aged 15+ who watched TV from from28 Jan-3 Feb 2014 watched Society on SABC 1”.
Share % (SHR%) is the share or proportion of the available audience (people watching TV at that time) that a specific channel/programme has achieved at that time: “ociety achieved a share % of 52.59% from 28 Jan- 3 Feb 2014 on SABC 1”.
SAARF/MarkLives #Top40TVratings Chart: 28 January — 3 February 2014
National (include all households — free-to-air viewing and DStv platform)
| Market | Target | Activity | |||||
| National | Total Indv (incl guests) | Live + VOSDAL | |||||
| Counter | Description (grouped) | Channel | Level 1 | Level 2\Variable | (r) AMR % | AMR | SHR % |
| 1 | GENERATIONS | SABC 1 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 22.1 | 8 863 521 | 68.74% |
| 2 | SABC 2 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 19.8 | 7 948 374 | 63.81% | |
| 3 | SOCIETY (DRAMA) | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 16.3 | 6 541 066 | 52.59% |
| 4 | AMAZA | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 14.2 | 5 683 145 | 45.59% |
| 5 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 13.9 | 5 577 210 | 48.22% |
| 6 | UGUGU NO ANDILE | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 13.8 | 5 534 435 | 43.14% |
| 7 | CUTTING EDGE | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 12.5 | 5 020 684 | 41.24% |
| 8 | INTERSEXTIONS | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 10.4 | 4 165 502 | 35.87% |
| 9 | MR & MRS SMITH | e.tv | Movies | ACTION/ADVENTURE | 9.5 | 3 816 776 | 39.26% |
| 10 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 9.4 | 3 761 739 | 37.11% |
| 11 | DRUNKEN MASTER | e.tv | Movies | ACTION/ADVENTURE | 9.2 | 3 671 435 | 37.77% |
| 12 | LESILO RULA | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 9.0 | 3 620 767 | 33.06% |
| 13 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 8.7 | 3 505 779 | 30.72% |
| 14 | 90 PLEIN STREET | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 7.7 | 3 107 030 | 40.92% |
| 15 | KHUMBUL’ EKHAYA | SABC 2 | Magazine | Magazine | 7.4 | 2 955 331 | 33.54% |
| 16 | RHYTHM CITY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 7.0 | 2 794 668 | 29.39% |
| 17 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 6.6 | 2 637 213 | 24.16% |
| 18 | AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS 2014 GHANA VS LIBYA | SABC 1 | Sport | Sport | 6.5 | 2 595 269 | 30.57% |
| 19 | EKASI OUR STORIES:THREE DAYS IN HELL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 6.4 | 2 552 156 | 24.58% |
| 20 | SINGLE GALZ | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 6.0 | 2 407 221 | 22.81% |
| 21 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.9 | 2 359 062 | 49.76% |
| 22 | 7DE LAAN | SABC 2 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 5.7 | 2 280 492 | 23.87% |
| 23 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 5.6 | 2 237 927 | 22.21% |
| 24 | NEWS | e.tv | News | News | 5.5 | 2 206 927 | 22.45% |
| 25 | FRIENDS LIKE THESE | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 5.4 | 2 164 957 | 23.02% |
| 26 | SPEAK OUT -R | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 5.4 | 2 148 141 | 28.06% |
| 27 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 5.3 | 2 110 630 | 18.58% |
| 28 | GENERATIONS -R | SABC 1 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 5.1 | 2 032 593 | 45.93% |
| 29 | ZAZIWA | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 5.0 | 2 023 968 | 17.50% |
| 30 | MIND YOUR LANGUAGE | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 5.0 | 1 996 683 | 43.38% |
| 31 | THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL | SABC 3 | Soap opera | INTERNATIONAL | 5.0 | 1 989 989 | 24.07% |
| 32 | AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS 2014 GHANA VS NIGERIA -R | SABC 1 | Sport | FOOTBALL(SOCCER) | 4.8 | 1 943 310 | 21.57% |
| 33 | WWE WRESTLING RAW | e.tv | Sport | WRESTLING | 4.7 | 1 900 429 | 22.62% |
| 34 | VELAPHI | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 4.7 | 1 891 224 | 40.34% |
| 35 | ABO MZALA | SABC 2 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 4.6 | 1 844 224 | 16.99% |
| 36 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 4.6 | 1 825 310 | 29.30% |
| 37 | NYAN NYAN -R | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 4.4 | 1 770 689 | 38.55% |
| 38 | NUUS | SABC 2 | News | News | 4.4 | 1 770 466 | 18.28% |
| 39 | DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS | e.tv | Movies | DRAMA | 4.4 | 1 763 417 | 21.05% |
| 40 | SKEEM SAAM | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.3 | 1 731 568 | 22.32% |
DStv platform only
| Market | Target | Activity | |||||
| DStv | Total Indv (incl guests) | Live + VOSDAL | |||||
| Counter | Description (grouped) | Channel | Level 1 | Level 2\Variable | (r) AMR % | AMR | SHR % |
| 1 | GENERATIONS | SABC 1 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 17.7 | 2 057 210 | 50.33% |
| 2 | SABC 2 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 14.9 | 1 732 128 | 44.19% | |
| 3 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 9.9 | 1 150 467 | 31.42% |
| 4 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 6.2 | 724 931 | 19.09% |
| 5 | CUTTING EDGE | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 5.9 | 690 842 | 17.39% |
| 6 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 5.9 | 683 929 | 20.62% |
| 7 | SOCIETY (DRAMA) | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 5.6 | 646 957 | 16.11% |
| 8 | INTERSEXTIONS | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 5.4 | 632 339 | 17.19% |
| 9 | RHYTHM CITY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 5.4 | 627 194 | 18.97% |
| 10 | MR & MRS SMITH | e.tv | Movies | ACTION/ADVENTURE | 5.0 | 586 250 | 17.42% |
| 11 | LESILO RULA | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 5.0 | 583 013 | 16.47% |
| 12 | ISIBAYA | Mzansi Magic | Variety | Variety | 4.6 | 537 810 | 19.59% |
| 13 | UGUGU NO ANDILE | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 4.5 | 526 316 | 13.28% |
| 14 | DRUNKEN MASTER | e.tv | Movies | ACTION/ADVENTURE | 4.3 | 504 845 | 16.15% |
| 15 | KHUMBUL’ EKHAYA | SABC 2 | Magazine | Magazine | 4.2 | 492 119 | 18.34% |
| 16 | 7DE LAAN | SABC 2 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 4.2 | 488 224 | 14.72% |
| 17 | NEWS | e.tv | News | News | 4.2 | 486 084 | 14.12% |
| 18 | AMAZA | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.2 | 484 629 | 12.38% |
| 19 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 4.1 | 475 317 | 13.09% |
| 20 | BIG BROTHER MZANSI LAUNCH | Mzansi Magic | Variety | Variety | 4.0 | 464 751 | 12.19% |
| 21 | NUUS | SABC 2 | News | News | 3.4 | 392 898 | 11.56% |
| 22 | SPEAK OUT -R | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 3.3 | 387 027 | 14.62% |
| 23 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 3.3 | 385 812 | 9.88% |
| 24 | ABSA PREMIERSHIP MOROKA SWALLOWS VS KAIZER CHIEFS | SuperSport 4 | Sport | FOOTBALL(SOCCER) | 3.2 | 378 339 | 10.88% |
| 25 | 90 PLEIN STREET | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 3.2 | 376 311 | 13.71% |
| 26 | VODACOM YEBO MILLIONAIRES | SABC 2 | Competition | Competition | 3.0 | 353 375 | 11.57% |
| 27 | GENERATIONS -R | SABC 1 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 3.0 | 351 319 | 24.06% |
| 28 | WWE WRESTLING RAW | e.tv | Sport | WRESTLING | 3.0 | 344 233 | 10.74% |
| 29 | EKASI OUR STORIES:THREE DAYS IN HELL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 2.9 | 342 323 | 10.67% |
| 30 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 2.9 | 339 249 | 22.53% |
| 31 | SINGLE GALZ | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 2.8 | 328 930 | 8.70% |
| 32 | THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL | SABC 3 | Soap opera | INTERNATIONAL | 2.7 | 320 252 | 10.79% |
| 33 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 2.7 | 309 428 | 8.82% |
| 34 | AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS 2014 GHANA VS LIBYA | SABC 1 | Sport | Sport | 2.6 | 308 606 | 11.72% |
| 35 | AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS 2014 GHANA VS NIGERIA -R | SABC 1 | Sport | FOOTBALL(SOCCER) | 2.5 | 285 559 | 10.44% |
| 36 | BABY GUARDS | Africa Magic Movies | Movies | DRAMA | 2.4 | 279 791 | 14.47% |
| 37 | ZAZIWA | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 2.4 | 273 885 | 7.15% |
| 38 | BLOOD SISTER | Africa Magic Movies | Movies | DRAMA | 2.3 | 270 458 | 8.61% |
| 39 | ISIDINGO -R | SABC 1 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 2.3 | 266 671 | 19.85% |
| 40 | BINNELAND | kykNET | Soap opera | LOCAL | 2.3 | 263 675 | 7.89% |
SAARF is the name by which the South African Audience Research Foundation is familiarly known. SAARF’s main objective is to direct and publish media audience and product/brand research for the benefit of its stake-holders, thereby providing data for target marketing and a common currency for the buying and selling of media space and time. SAARF has thus the responsibility to measure the audiences of all traditional media such as newspapers, magazines, radio, television, cinema and out of home media.
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