by SAARF & MarkLives (@marklives) The week of 10 March — 17 March 2014 saw e.tv’s Big Momma movie sequels keep e.tv in our Top 5 on our SAARF/MarkLives #Top40TVratings national chart, while the Absa Premiership also scored a Top 10 position on our national table.
On the DStv chart, e.tv grabbed the no. 3 slot with Big Mommas: Like Farther Like Son. Mzansi Magic took the no. four slot on our DStv chart with Isibaya. From 17 March 2014, Isibaya is being broadcast five days a week on Mzansi Magic, in the primetime slot of 8.30pm, as a 208-episode isiZulu telenovela.
“The response to Isibaya has been fantastic,” Yolisa Phahle, channel director of M-Net’s general entertainment channels, said recently when she announced the launch of Isibaya as a telenovela.
Exceeded expectations
“Viewership exceeded the expectations we had when we launched in March 2013. You also only have to go onto social networks during the broadcast of each episode to see how closely viewers are following the story arcs and characters. We are thrilled to now be able to offer our viewers a dose of Isibaya every weekday as the show enters a new era.”
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: 10 March — 16 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 | 23.8 | 10 191 870 | 71.45% |
| 2 | NGEMPELAH | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 16.3 | 7 009 758 | 51.57% |
| 3 | AMAZA | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 15.8 | 6 760 237 | 51.67% |
| 4 | INTERSECTIONS | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 14.1 | 6 046 935 | 44.82% |
| 5 | BIG MOMMAS: LIKE FATHER LIKE SON | e.tv | Movies | Comedy | 13.8 | 5 900 147 | 53.10% |
| 6 | LOXION LYRIC | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 13.4 | 5 745 063 | 43.14% |
| 7 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 12.3 | 5 256 290 | 43.68% |
| 8 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 10.7 | 4 594 467 | 33.43% |
| 9 | ABSA PREMIERSHIP ORLANDO PIRATES VS KAIZER CHIEFS | SABC 1 | Sport | Football (soccer) | 10.7 | 4 580 974 | 45.22% |
| 10 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 10.5 | 4 511 277 | 33.02% |
| 11 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 9.9 | 4 261 811 | 32.01% |
| 12 | TASK FORCE(DRAMA) | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 9.8 | 4 200 536 | 33.66% |
| 13 | FRIENDS LIKE THESE | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 9.7 | 4 180 090 | 36.00% |
| 14 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 9.6 | 4 102 936 | 38.39% |
| 15 | RHYTHM CITY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 9.3 | 3 993 234 | 35.18% |
| 16 | SINGLE GALZ | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 8.9 | 3 826 775 | 29.13% |
| 17 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 8.0 | 3 437 226 | 26.62% |
| 18 | ZAZIWA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 7.9 | 3 399 551 | 27.26% |
| 19 | WWE SPECIAL: ELIMINATION CHAMBER | e.tv | Sport | Wrestling | 7.4 | 3 178 080 | 40.19% |
| 20 | BEAUTY SHOP | e.tv | Movies | Comedy | 7.4 | 3 159 992 | 28.34% |
| 21 | NEWS | e.tv | News | News | 7.2 | 3 081 797 | 24.82% |
| 22 | MR BOX OFFICE | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 6.7 | 2 883 421 | 22.40% |
| 23 | DI WELE MAKGOLELA | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 6.7 | 2 861 275 | 28.34% |
| 24 | EKASI OUR STORIES:ONCE BITTEN | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 6.5 | 2 781 485 | 25.90% |
| 25 | KHUMBUL’ EKHAYA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 6.4 | 2 759 489 | 24.99% |
| 26 | LOTTO DRAW LIVE | e.tv | Competition | Competition | 6.1 | 2 631 980 | 25.21% |
| 27 | SPEAK OUT | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 6.1 | 2 610 726 | 29.50% |
| 28 | NYAN NYAN | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 5.8 | 2 497 688 | 25.17% |
| 29 | RING OF FIRE II BLOOD & STEEL | e.tv | Movies | Action/adventure | 5.7 | 2 462 754 | 22.08% |
| 30 | WWE WRESTLING RAW | e.tv | Sport | Wrestling | 5.6 | 2 405 581 | 26.36% |
| 31 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.5 | 2 377 558 | 47.62% |
| 32 | THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL | SABC 3 | Soap opera | International | 5.5 | 2 344 831 | 23.48% |
| 33 | 90 PLEIN STREET | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 5.4 | 2 313 139 | 28.53% |
| 34 | ZONE 14 | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.4 | 2 303 802 | 20.07% |
| 35 | 7DE LAAN | SABC 2 | Soap opera | Local | 5.3 | 2 267 705 | 20.05% |
| 36 | ABSA PREMIERSHIP BIDVEST WITS VS PLATINUM STARS | SABC 1 | Sport | Football (soccer) | 5.2 | 2 224 802 | 20.80% |
| 37 | GENERATIONS -R | SABC 1 | Soap opera | Local | 5.2 | 2 212 662 | 47.41% |
| 38 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 5.1 | 2 206 570 | 31.58% |
| 39 | STOKVEL | SABC 2 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 5.1 | 2 201 235 | 22.29% |
| 40 | ROOTS | SABC 1 | Music | Music | 5.0 | 2 140 875 | 25.77% |
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 | 17.5 | 2 366 379 | 51.01% |
| 2 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 9.3 | 1 257 602 | 30.95% |
| 3 | BIG MOMMAS: LIKE FATHER LIKE SON | e.tv | Movies | Comedy | 7.5 | 1 007 327 | 25.80% |
| 4 | ISIBAYA | Mzansi Magic | Variety | Variety | 7.1 | 965 632 | 25.79% |
| 5 | RHYTHM CITY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 7.1 | 957 278 | 23.03% |
| 6 | INTERSECTIONS | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 6.9 | 936 020 | 23.17% |
| 7 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 6.7 | 900 982 | 19.76% |
| 8 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 6.3 | 852 898 | 19.00% |
| 9 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 5.9 | 799 280 | 17.79% |
| 10 | NEWS | e.tv | News | News | 5.5 | 746 317 | 17.06% |
| 11 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 5.4 | 729 472 | 20.79% |
| 12 | SPEAK OUT | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 5.4 | 727 185 | 21.73% |
| 13 | AMAZA | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.3 | 721 555 | 16.18% |
| 14 | NGEMPELAH | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.3 | 716 755 | 15.46% |
| 15 | FRIENDS LIKE THESE | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 4.8 | 650 110 | 15.50% |
| 16 | ABSA PREMIERSHIP ORLANDO PIRATES VS KAIZER CHIEFS | SABC 1 | Sport | Football (soccer) | 4.6 | 622 487 | 17.46% |
| 17 | KHUMBUL’ EKHAYA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 4.4 | 596 144 | 15.30% |
| 18 | 7DE LAAN | SABC 2 | Soap opera | Local | 4.3 | 581 380 | 14.02% |
| 19 | NYAN NYAN | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 4.0 | 540 406 | 13.46% |
| 20 | BIG BROTHER SA | Mzansi Magic | Reality | Reality | 3.9 | 522 252 | 11.90% |
| 21 | LOXION LYRIC | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 3.8 | 513 773 | 11.13% |
| 22 | SINGLE GALZ | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 3.8 | 511 309 | 11.14% |
| 23 | THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL | SABC 3 | Soap opera | International | 3.6 | 489 380 | 12.67% |
| 24 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 3.5 | 477 113 | 10.11% |
| 25 | TASK FORCE(DRAMA) | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 3.5 | 471 551 | 10.94% |
| 26 | GENERATIONS -R | SABC 1 | Soap opera | Local | 3.4 | 463 508 | 26.72% |
| 27 | BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE MANCHESTER UTD VS LIVERPOOL | SuperSport 3 | Sport | Football (soccer) | 3.2 | 427 191 | 11.98% |
| 28 | EKASI OUR STORIES:ONCE BITTEN | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 3.1 | 422 254 | 11.37% |
| 29 | WWE SPECIAL: ELIMINATION CHAMBER | e.tv | Sport | Wrestling | 3.1 | 420 967 | 13.61% |
| 30 | ZAZIWA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 3.1 | 413 518 | 9.28% |
| 31 | NUUS | SABC 2 | News | News | 3.0 | 399 682 | 9.39% |
| 32 | CUTTING EDGE | SABC 1 | Actuality | Actuality | 2.9 | 397 684 | 11.94% |
| 33 | VODACOM SUPER RUGBY 2014 SHARKS VS REDS | SuperSport 1 | Sport | Rugby (all) | 2.9 | 394 592 | 10.53% |
| 34 | BEAUTY SHOP | e.tv | Movies | Comedy | 2.9 | 394 081 | 10.35% |
| 35 | STOKVEL | SABC 2 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 2.8 | 384 096 | 10.92% |
| 36 | WWE WRESTLING RAW | e.tv | Sport | Wrestling | 2.8 | 375 061 | 9.86% |
| 37 | ABSA PREMIERSHIP ORLANDO PIRATES VS KAIZER CHIEFS | SuperSport 4HD | Sport | Football (soccer) | 2.8 | 372 613 | 10.46% |
| 38 | THE LINK | SABC 1 | Documentary | Documentary | 2.8 | 372 108 | 10.05% |
| 39 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 2.7 | 362 856 | 19.88% |
| 40 | DI WELE MAKGOLELA | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 2.6 | 352 607 | 11.04% |
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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