by SAARF & MarkLives (@marklives) The 20th Annual South African Music Awards proved to be a major ratings hit for SABC 1 during the week of 28 April — 4 May 2014, the SAARF/MarkLives #Top40TVratings national chart shows. It landed in third position on 
the chart with an audience of 5 378 929. It grabbed 4th spot on the DStv chart. In addition SAMA 20: Lights, Camera, Fashion! took the 7th and 6th spots on the national and the DStv charts respectively.
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
SAARF/MarkLives #Top40TVratings Chart: 28 April — 4 May 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 | 24.0 | 10 305 724 | 71.58% |
| 2 | NGEMPELA | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 16.4 | 7 020 604 | 50.76% |
| 3 | 20TH ANNUAL SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC AWARDS | SABC 1 | Music | Music | 12.5 | 5 378 929 | 48.90% |
| 4 | INTERSEXTIONS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 12.5 | 5 343 988 | 41.24% |
| 5 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 12.2 | 5 249 721 | 42.06% |
| 6 | FAMILY BONDS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 11.9 | 5 093 714 | 39.36% |
| 7 | SAMA 20:LIGHTS CAMERA FASHION | SABC 1 | Actuality | Actuality | 11.2 | 4 786 004 | 34.18% |
| 8 | FRIENDS LIKE THESE -R | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 11.0 | 4 715 674 | 42.77% |
| 9 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 10.9 | 4 669 595 | 34.25% |
| 10 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 10.8 | 4 621 297 | 34.60% |
| 11 | ZAZIWA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 10.5 | 4 519 236 | 33.98% |
| 12 | RHYTHM CITY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 10.5 | 4 513 273 | 35.95% |
| 13 | LOXION LYRIC | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 10.4 | 4 468 422 | 33.60% |
| 14 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 10.3 | 4 419 725 | 32.07% |
| 15 | THE PERFECT SISHEBO SHOW | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 10.2 | 4 387 825 | 32.73% |
| 16 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 9.5 | 4 089 912 | 29.37% |
| 17 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 9.3 | 3 984 743 | 36.84% |
| 18 | NEWS HEADLINES | SABC 1 | News | News | 8.7 | 3 731 235 | 28.66% |
| 19 | MY WORLD | SABC 1 | Documentary | Documentary | 8.3 | 3 541 983 | 26.73% |
| 20 | REAL GOBOZA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 8.0 | 3 442 036 | 35.43% |
| 21 | SPEAK OUT | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 8.0 | 3 441 469 | 35.74% |
| 22 | BEVERLY HILLS NINJA | e.tv | Movies | ACTION/ADVENTURE | 7.9 | 3 380 600 | 28.84% |
| 23 | FRIENDS LIKE THESE | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 7.7 | 3 313 454 | 35.65% |
| 24 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 7.3 | 3 150 480 | 47.71% |
| 25 | STOKVEL | SABC 2 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 7.3 | 3 139 832 | 32.27% |
| 26 | YESTERDAY (MOV) | SABC 1 | Movies | DRAMA | 7.2 | 3 092 506 | 31.41% |
| 27 | G.I JOE:THE RISE OF COBRA | e.tv | Movies | ACTION/ADVENTURE | 7.1 | 3 041 824 | 28.95% |
| 28 | DI WELE MAKGOLELA | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 7.1 | 3 040 219 | 32.69% |
| 29 | NYAN NYAN | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 7.0 | 2 994 971 | 27.28% |
| 30 | NEDBANK CUP MARITZBURG UNITED VS ORLANDO PIRATES | SABC 1 | Sport | FOOTBALL(SOCCER) | 6.8 | 2 928 513 | 28.23% |
| 31 | THOLA | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 6.8 | 2 909 464 | 32.07% |
| 32 | GENERATIONS -R | SABC 1 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 6.5 | 2 798 568 | 46.88% |
| 33 | EMZINI WEZINSIZWA -R | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 6.4 | 2 765 205 | 42.95% |
| 34 | LOTTO DRAW LIVE | e.tv | Competition | Competition | 6.3 | 2 723 638 | 25.40% |
| 35 | NEDBANK CUP BIDVEST WITS VS KAIZER CHIEFS | SABC 1 | Sport | FOOTBALL(SOCCER) | 6.3 | 2 692 598 | 31.28% |
| 36 | MOESHA | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 6.2 | 2 652 724 | 41.87% |
| 37 | NEWS | e.tv | News | News | 6.1 | 2 616 769 | 20.62% |
| 38 | ELECTION DEBATE | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 5.9 | 2 521 813 | 23.10% |
| 39 | FAN BASE | SABC 1 | Music | Music | 5.8 | 2 489 156 | 25.36% |
| 40 | ILIFESTYLE | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 5.7 | 2 430 265 | 22.43% |
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 | 2 394 685 | 50.42% |
| 2 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 8.8 | 1 193 332 | 28.36% |
| 3 | ISIBAYA | Mzansi Magic | Variety | Variety | 8.1 | 1 094 149 | 23.85% |
| 4 | 20TH ANNUAL SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC AWARDS | SABC 1 | Music | Music | 7.3 | 989 893 | 28.33% |
| 5 | RHYTHM CITY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 7.1 | 963 971 | 21.95% |
| 6 | SAMA 20:LIGHTS CAMERA FASHION | SABC 1 | Actuality | Actuality | 6.6 | 893 760 | 19.06% |
| 7 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 6.3 | 851 080 | 18.15% |
| 8 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 6.3 | 847 170 | 18.56% |
| 9 | NGEMPELA | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.9 | 800 547 | 17.38% |
| 10 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 5.7 | 771 351 | 20.38% |
| 11 | SPEAK OUT | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 5.5 | 737 467 | 21.40% |
| 12 | NEWS | e.tv | News | News | 4.9 | 659 413 | 14.76% |
| 13 | FRIENDS LIKE THESE -R | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 4.6 | 620 886 | 15.24% |
| 14 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 4.5 | 614 379 | 13.13% |
| 15 | INTERSEXTIONS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.5 | 607 820 | 13.54% |
| 16 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 4.4 | 591 743 | 12.58% |
| 17 | FAMILY BONDS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.2 | 568 350 | 12.89% |
| 18 | 7DE LAAN | SABC 2 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 4.1 | 555 119 | 12.61% |
| 19 | STOKVEL | SABC 2 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 4.0 | 538 440 | 14.31% |
| 20 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 3.5 | 475 147 | 19.94% |
| 21 | THOLA | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 3.5 | 474 407 | 14.36% |
| 22 | VODACOM SUPER RUGBY 2014 CHEETAHS VS BULLS | SuperSport 1 | Sport | RUGBY(ALL) | 3.5 | 472 735 | 12.57% |
| 23 | LOXION LYRIC | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 3.5 | 469 812 | 9.93% |
| 24 | ZAZIWA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 3.4 | 464 567 | 10.17% |
| 25 | DI WELE MAKGOLELA | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 3.4 | 458 603 | 13.27% |
| 26 | GENERATIONS -R | SABC 1 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 3.4 | 453 738 | 20.69% |
| 27 | G.I JOE:THE RISE OF COBRA | e.tv | Movies | ACTION/ADVENTURE | 3.3 | 448 863 | 12.30% |
| 28 | YESTERDAY (MOV) | SABC 1 | Movies | DRAMA | 3.3 | 442 534 | 12.98% |
| 29 | THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL | SABC 3 | Soap opera | INTERNATIONAL | 3.2 | 426 820 | 10.88% |
| 30 | OUR PERFECT WEDDING (MAG) | Mzansi Magic | Magazine | Magazine | 3.1 | 424 252 | 9.30% |
| 31 | THE PERFECT SISHEBO SHOW | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 3.1 | 423 939 | 8.99% |
| 32 | MY WORLD | SABC 1 | Documentary | Documentary | 3.1 | 417 778 | 9.32% |
| 33 | LOTTO DRAW LIVE | e.tv | Competition | Competition | 3.1 | 416 063 | 10.74% |
| 34 | BEVERLY HILLS NINJA | e.tv | Movies | ACTION/ADVENTURE | 3.0 | 399 121 | 9.88% |
| 35 | NYAN NYAN | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 2.9 | 394 873 | 9.71% |
| 36 | NEWS HEADLINES | SABC 1 | News | News | 2.9 | 390 920 | 8.66% |
| 37 | VODACOM MILLIONAIRES | e.tv | Competition | Competition | 2.9 | 386 166 | 9.08% |
| 38 | VODACOM SUPER RUGBY 2014 STORMERS VS HIGHLANDERS | SuperSport 1 | Sport | RUGBY(ALL) | 2.8 | 379 318 | 11.28% |
| 39 | UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE:BAYERN MUNICH VS REAL MADRID | SuperSport 3 | Sport | FOOTBALL(SOCCER) | 2.8 | 378 301 | 12.56% |
| 40 | NOOT VIR NOOT | SABC 2 | Music | Music | 2.8 | 372 048 | 8.24% |
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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