by SAARF & MarkLives (@marklives) The week of 17 March — 23 March 2014 saw SABC 1 dominate eight of the Top 10 positions on our SAARF/MarkLives #Top40TVratings national chart, while Isibaya continued its climb on our DStv table, from no. 4 to no. 3, by growing its viewership from 965 632 to 1 115 462.
News in IsiXhosa (SABC 1) was the most-watched news broadcast on our national chart, followed by news broadcast in IsiZulu (SABC 1), the News on e.tv.
This weekly roundup of South Africa’s TV audience viewership, a collaboration between the South African Audience Research Foundation (SAARF) and MarkLives, reveals the best-watched shows of the week before, where it ran and how many South Africans tuned in to watch.
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.
SAARF/MarkLives #Top40TVratings Chart: 17 — 23 March 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 | 22.9 | 9 820 584 | 70.72% |
| 2 | NGEMPELAH | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 16.4 | 7 021 354 | 50.82% |
| 3 | AMAZA | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 16.1 | 6 899 474 | 51.95% |
| 4 | LOXION LYRIC | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 13.4 | 5 751 230 | 42.31% |
| 5 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 12.2 | 5 226 002 | 42.54% |
| 6 | INTERSEXTIONS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 11.4 | 4 878 678 | 37.98% |
| 7 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 10.5 | 4 483 279 | 34.58% |
| 8 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 10.0 | 4 294 634 | 32.64% |
| 9 | TASK FORCE(DRAMA) | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 9.9 | 4 231 628 | 34.08% |
| 10 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 9.8 | 4 223 845 | 32.09% |
| 11 | FRIENDS LIKE THESE | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 9.8 | 4 199 722 | 36.25% |
| 12 | UNSTOPPABLE | e.tv | Movies | Drama | 9.6 | 4 134 478 | 37.99% |
| 13 | FAMILY BONDS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 9.4 | 4 012 373 | 35.14% |
| 14 | SINGLE GALZ | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 9.2 | 3 963 341 | 31.04% |
| 15 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 9.2 | 3 943 258 | 31.03% |
| 16 | RHYTHM CITY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 8.5 | 3 667 824 | 34.22% |
| 17 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 8.4 | 3 586 791 | 33.21% |
| 18 | ZAZIWA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 8.2 | 3 517 853 | 28.39% |
| 19 | MR BOX OFFICE | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 6.5 | 2 784 428 | 24.36% |
| 20 | NEDBANK CUP GOLDEN ARROWS VS MAMELODI SUNDOWNS | SABC 1 | Sport | Football (soccer) | 6.4 | 2 754 289 | 25.87% |
| 21 | NEWS | e.tv | News | News | 6.4 | 2 726 705 | 22.72% |
| 22 | STREET FIGHTER:THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI | e.tv | Movies | Action/adventure | 6.3 | 2 719 900 | 25.31% |
| 23 | KHUMBUL’ EKHAYA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 6.3 | 2 710 225 | 24.62% |
| 24 | WWE WRESTLING RAW | e.tv | Sport | Wrestling | 6.1 | 2 637 644 | 29.82% |
| 25 | SPEAK OUT | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 6.0 | 2 592 252 | 27.60% |
| 26 | OUR FAMILY WEDDING | e.tv | Movies | Drama | 5.9 | 2 521 171 | 22.33% |
| 27 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.7 | 2 446 029 | 46.29% |
| 28 | EKASI OUR STORIES:MAGEZA | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 5.6 | 2 398 808 | 22.08% |
| 29 | MUVHANGO -O | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 5.5 | 2 373 344 | 29.81% |
| 30 | STOKVEL | SABC 2 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 5.3 | 2 282 143 | 23.06% |
| 31 | GENERATIONS -R | SABC 1 | Soap opera | Local | 5.2 | 2 236 843 | 45.45% |
| 32 | DI WELE MAKGOLELA | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 5.2 | 2 235 027 | 23.32% |
| 33 | REAL GOBOZA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 5.2 | 2 227 829 | 25.18% |
| 34 | NEWS HEADLINES | SABC 1 | News | News | 5.2 | 2 227 620 | 19.55% |
| 35 | EMZINI WEZINSIZWA -R | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 5.1 | 2 170 682 | 41.08% |
| 36 | DRAGONBALL:EVOLUTION | e.tv | Movies | Action/adventure | 5.0 | 2 143 389 | 38.98% |
| 37 | NYAN NYAN | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 5.0 | 2 131 174 | 22.77% |
| 38 | 7DE LAAN | SABC 2 | Soap opera | Local | 4.9 | 2 114 477 | 19.75% |
| 39 | IZOSO CONNEXION | SABC 2 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 4.9 | 2 094 241 | 17.45% |
| 40 | ELECTION DEBATE | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 4.7 | 2 031 206 | 20.48% |
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 | 16.5 | 2 227 673 | 49.65% |
| 2 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 9.3 | 1 251 302 | 30.28% |
| 3 | ISIBAYA | Mzansi Magic | Variety | Variety | 8.3 | 1 115 462 | 25.14% |
| 4 | AMAZA | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 6.2 | 833 904 | 18.48% |
| 5 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 6.0 | 813 883 | 19.04% |
| 6 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 5.9 | 803 943 | 18.29% |
| 7 | RHYTHM CITY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 5.7 | 773 340 | 19.88% |
| 8 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 5.5 | 748 619 | 17.35% |
| 9 | NGEMPELAH | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.5 | 748 403 | 16.50% |
| 10 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 4.7 | 628 671 | 16.93% |
| 11 | NEWS | e.tv | News | News | 4.5 | 610 630 | 14.73% |
| 12 | SPEAK OUT | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 4.5 | 603 146 | 17.28% |
| 13 | FRIENDS LIKE THESE | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 4.4 | 593 316 | 14.48% |
| 14 | INTERSEXTIONS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.2 | 573 666 | 13.82% |
| 15 | UNSTOPPABLE | e.tv | Movies | Drama | 4.2 | 571 394 | 14.37% |
| 16 | LOXION LYRIC | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.2 | 569 463 | 12.71% |
| 17 | KHUMBUL’ EKHAYA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 4.1 | 554 959 | 14.68% |
| 18 | 7DE LAAN | SABC 2 | Soap opera | Local | 3.6 | 489 452 | 12.59% |
| 19 | BIG BROTHER SA | Mzansi Magic | Reality | Reality | 3.5 | 471 947 | 12.19% |
| 20 | FAMILY BONDS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 3.5 | 471 903 | 12.37% |
| 21 | SINGLE GALZ | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 3.4 | 463 757 | 10.70% |
| 22 | TASK FORCE(DRAMA) | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 3.3 | 444 686 | 10.43% |
| 23 | GENERATIONS -R | SABC 1 | Soap opera | Local | 3.3 | 441 882 | 24.51% |
| 24 | THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL | SABC 3 | Soap opera | International | 3.1 | 424 740 | 11.73% |
| 25 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 3.1 | 424 345 | 21.77% |
| 26 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 3.1 | 414 689 | 9.92% |
| 27 | ZAZIWA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 3.0 | 408 853 | 9.37% |
| 28 | SOCCER ZONE | SABC 1 | Sport | Football (soccer) | 3.0 | 405 858 | 11.56% |
| 29 | VODACOM SUPER RUGBY 2014 BULLS VS SHARKS | SuperSport 1 | Sport | Rugby (all) | 3.0 | 402 542 | 9.56% |
| 30 | WWE WRESTLING RAW | e.tv | Sport | Wrestling | 2.8 | 384 507 | 10.85% |
| 31 | NUUS | SABC 2 | News | News | 2.7 | 364 706 | 9.16% |
| 32 | NEDBANK CUP GOLDEN ARROWS VS MAMELODI SUNDOWNS | SABC 1 | Sport | Football (soccer) | 2.7 | 363 542 | 9.63% |
| 33 | STREET FIGHTER:THE LEGEND OF CHUN-LI | e.tv | Movies | Action/adventure | 2.6 | 351 383 | 9.83% |
| 34 | OUR FAMILY WEDDING | e.tv | Movies | Drama | 2.5 | 340 761 | 8.58% |
| 35 | STOKVEL | SABC 2 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 2.5 | 338 979 | 9.79% |
| 36 | DI WELE MAKGOLELA | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 2.5 | 338 257 | 10.37% |
| 37 | ROCKVILLE (DRAMA) | Mzansi Magic | Drama | Drama | 2.5 | 336 659 | 8.18% |
| 38 | ISIDINGO -R | SABC 1 | Soap opera | Local | 2.5 | 335 393 | 20.24% |
| 39 | LOTTO DRAW LIVE | e.tv | Competition | Competition | 2.4 | 328 208 | 8.56% |
| 40 | REAL GOBOZA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 2.4 | 327 238 | 9.94% |
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: “Society achieved a share % of 52.59% from 28 Jan- 3 Feb 2014 on SABC 1″.
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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