by SAARF & MarkLives (@marklives) The week of 7 April — 13 April 2014 saw SABC 1 score with with the broadcast of various Nedbank Cup soccer games, the SAARF/MarkLives #Top40TVratings chart shows, especially on DStv where four games 
made it into our Top 40. The Mamelodi Sundowns vs Orlando Pirates (Pirates won 2-1) game also made it into the Top 20 on our national chart.
This weekly roundup of South Africa’s TV audience viewership, a collaboration between the South African Audience Research Foundation (SAARF) andMarkLives, 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: 7 April — 13 April 2014
| 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 | 24.3 | 10 441 987 | 71.94% |
| 2 | AMAZA | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 15.7 | 6 718 815 | 49.47% |
| 3 | NGEMPELA | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 15.5 | 6 647 617 | 49.17% |
| 4 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 13.9 | 5 971 650 | 47.54% |
| 5 | INTERSEXTIONS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 13.1 | 5 640 730 | 42.07% |
| 6 | LOXION LYRIC | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 13.1 | 5 610 121 | 39.76% |
| 7 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 12.2 | 5 226 884 | 36.45% |
| 8 | SINGLE GALZ | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 11.4 | 4 900 323 | 35.83% |
| 9 | FAMILY BONDS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 11.2 | 4 814 636 | 37.30% |
| 10 | FRIENDS LIKE THESE | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 11.1 | 4 752 844 | 37.96% |
| 11 | ZAZIWA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 10.7 | 4 602 469 | 32.83% |
| 12 | RHYTHM CITY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 10.7 | 4 572 572 | 37.69% |
| 13 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 10.5 | 4 525 968 | 33.51% |
| 14 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 10.5 | 4 524 351 | 31.97% |
| 15 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 10.4 | 4 453 670 | 40.04% |
| 16 | TASK FORCE(DRAMA) | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 10.3 | 4 401 745 | 34.44% |
| 17 | NEDBANK CUP:MAMELODI SUNDOWNS VS ORLANDO PIRATES | SABC 1 | Sport | FOOTBALL (SOCCER) | 10.1 | 4 345 464 | 38.06% |
| 18 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 9.5 | 4 062 198 | 30.42% |
| 19 | WALKING TALL | e.tv | Movies | ACTION/ADVENTURE | 9.4 | 4 012 810 | 34.03% |
| 20 | THE PERFECT SISHEBO SHOW | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 9.1 | 3 898 992 | 29.17% |
| 21 | NEWS | e.tv | News | News | 7.6 | 3 241 415 | 24.55% |
| 22 | SPEAK OUT | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 7.5 | 3 237 564 | 35.66% |
| 23 | NEWS HEADLINES | SABC 1 | News | News | 7.5 | 3 198 056 | 24.63% |
| 24 | WWE WRESTLING RAW | e.tv | Sport | WRESTLING | 6.9 | 2 980 822 | 31.62% |
| 25 | THOLA | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 6.8 | 2 913 301 | 34.27% |
| 26 | STOKVEL | SABC 2 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 6.6 | 2 836 873 | 27.56% |
| 27 | NYAN NYAN | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 6.5 | 2 788 250 | 27.70% |
| 28 | DI WELE MAKGOLELA | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 6.5 | 2 770 423 | 27.76% |
| 29 | REAL GOBOZA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 6.4 | 2 735 751 | 28.99% |
| 30 | EKASI OUR STORIES:FAMILY AFFAIR | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 6.3 | 2 714 017 | 24.82% |
| 31 | AMBUSHED | SABC 1 | Movies | Movies | 6.2 | 2 678 175 | 24.44% |
| 32 | KHUMBUL’ EKHAYA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 5.8 | 2 490 950 | 21.85% |
| 33 | GENERATIONS RETRO | SABC 1 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 5.7 | 2 445 042 | 19.94% |
| 34 | ELECTION DEBATE | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 5.5 | 2 349 439 | 21.07% |
| 35 | MUVHANGO -O | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 5.4 | 2 320 374 | 30.28% |
| 36 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.4 | 2 308 137 | 48.88% |
| 37 | DR DOLITTLE II | e.tv | Movies | COMEDY | 5.2 | 2 222 884 | 17.89% |
| 38 | GENERATIONS -O | SABC 1 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 5.2 | 2 213 870 | 33.66% |
| 39 | STREET KINGS | e.tv | Movies | ACTION/ADVENTURE | 5.1 | 2 175 385 | 20.32% |
| 40 | YOU DESERVE IT. | e.tv | Reality | Reality | 5.0 | 2 145 866 | 20.33% |
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 | 2 364 068 | 50.73% |
| 2 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 10.8 | 1 461 715 | 35.33% |
| 3 | RHYTHM CITY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 7.5 | 1 015 202 | 24.68% |
| 4 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 7.5 | 1 014 468 | 22.00% |
| 5 | ISIBAYA | Mzansi Magic | Variety | Variety | 6.6 | 887 876 | 22.41% |
| 6 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 6.5 | 882 138 | 24.39% |
| 7 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 6.2 | 831 312 | 18.16% |
| 8 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 6.1 | 819 503 | 18.44% |
| 9 | NEWS | e.tv | News | News | 5.5 | 748 684 | 17.07% |
| 10 | AMAZA | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.3 | 716 150 | 15.59% |
| 11 | SPEAK OUT | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 5.2 | 706 038 | 22.25% |
| 12 | NGEMPELA | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.0 | 669 807 | 15.02% |
| 13 | FRIENDS LIKE THESE | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 4.6 | 617 939 | 14.60% |
| 14 | FAMILY BONDS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.5 | 610 444 | 14.40% |
| 15 | INTERSEXTIONS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.3 | 583 936 | 13.45% |
| 16 | OUR PERFECT WEDDING | Mzansi Magic | Drama | Drama | 4.1 | 549 894 | 12.22% |
| 17 | LOXION LYRIC | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.0 | 547 202 | 11.67% |
| 18 | WALKING TALL | e.tv | Movies | ACTION/ADVENTURE | 4.0 | 540 601 | 13.66% |
| 19 | REAL GOBOZA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 3.9 | 527 374 | 14.58% |
| 20 | NEDBANK CUP:MAMELODI SUNDOWNS VS ORLANDO PIRATES | SABC 1 | Sport | FOOTBALL(SOCCER) | 3.8 | 513 915 | 13.95% |
| 21 | TASK FORCE(DRAMA) | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 3.8 | 508 605 | 11.95% |
| 22 | SINGLE GALZ | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 3.7 | 500 325 | 11.23% |
| 23 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 3.7 | 498 928 | 11.05% |
| 24 | ZAZIWA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 3.7 | 498 733 | 10.91% |
| 25 | NEDBANK CUP:MAMELODI SUNDOWNS VS ORLANDO PIRATES | SuperSport 4 | Sport | FOOTBALL(SOCCER) | 3.6 | 490 053 | 13.69% |
| 26 | DI WELE MAKGOLELA | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 3.6 | 485 195 | 14.01% |
| 27 | KHUMBUL’ EKHAYA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 3.5 | 478 877 | 12.39% |
| 28 | NEDBANK CUP:SUPERSPORT UNITED VS KAIZER CHIEFS | SuperSport 4 | Sport | FOOTBALL(SOCCER) | 3.5 | 478 603 | 14.98% |
| 29 | THE PERFECT SISHEBO SHOW | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 3.2 | 434 097 | 9.79% |
| 30 | THOLA | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 3.2 | 432 906 | 15.19% |
| 31 | 7DE LAAN | SABC 2 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 3.1 | 425 496 | 10.38% |
| 32 | STOKVEL | SABC 2 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 3.1 | 422 135 | 11.99% |
| 33 | ABSA PREMIERSHIP BLACK ACES VS KAIZER CHIEFS | SuperSport 4 | Sport | FOOTBALL(SOCCER) | 3.0 | 405 770 | 8.66% |
| 34 | EKASI OUR STORIES:FAMILY AFFAIR | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 2.9 | 395 496 | 11.07% |
| 35 | GENERATIONS -R | SABC 1 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 2.9 | 394 374 | 24.85% |
| 36 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 2.9 | 391 603 | 22.92% |
| 37 | VODACOM MILLIONAIRES | e.tv | Competition | Competition | 2.9 | 387 086 | 10.13% |
| 38 | NYAN NYAN | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 2.8 | 376 808 | 10.43% |
| 39 | ROCKVILLE (DRAMA) | Mzansi Magic | Drama | Drama | 2.8 | 374 938 | 10.69% |
| 40 | VODACOM SUPER RUGBY 2014 LIONS VS SHARKS | SuperSport 1 | Sport | RUGBY(ALL) | 2.7 | 369 468 | 8.83% |
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.
— MarkLives’ round-up of top ad and media industry news and opinion in your mailbox every three work days. Sign up here!