by SAARF & MarkLives (@marklives) So, the 2014 FIFA World Cup is done and dusted, and has vanished off our SAARF/MarkLives #Top40TVratings national and DStv charts, but Leon Schuster’s There’s a Zulu on My Stoep (1993) is still tickling the rainbow nation’s funny bones more than 20 years on, having made it to no. 16 nationally and no. 26 on DStv for the week of July 14–20!
A collaboration between the South African Audience Research Foundation (SAARF) and MarkLives, this SAARF/MarkLives #Top40TVratings column is a weekly roundup of South Africa’s TV audience viewership.
It 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: 14–20 July 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 | 22.9 | 9 810 199 | 67.18% |
| 2 | MFOLOZI STREET | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 16.2 | 6 940 570 | 50.89% |
| 3 | STICKS AND STONES | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 15.2 | 6 525 880 | 45.93% |
| 4 | SHREDS AND DREAMS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 14.7 | 6 303 193 | 44.64% |
| 5 | SOUL CITY | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 14.6 | 6 255 529 | 48.16% |
| 6 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 12.3 | 5 261 950 | 41.48% |
| 7 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 10.5 | 4 514 627 | 31.55% |
| 8 | SES’TOP LA | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 10.5 | 4 513 575 | 31.07% |
| 9 | ZAZIWA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 10.2 | 4 390 572 | 30.22% |
| 10 | IHAWU | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 9.6 | 4 098 773 | 29.59% |
| 11 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 9.3 | 4 003 972 | 29.02% |
| 12 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 9.1 | 3 921 904 | 28.40% |
| 13 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 9.1 | 3 904 910 | 35.79% |
| 14 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 8.7 | 3 740 623 | 28.82% |
| 15 | RHYTHM CITY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 8.6 | 3 710 290 | 28.79% |
| 16 | THERE’S A ZULU ON MY STOEP | e.tv | Movies | Comedy | 8.5 | 3 640 331 | 30.34% |
| 17 | SPY KIDS III:GAME OVER | e.tv | Movies | Family | 8.3 | 3 550 448 | 33.06% |
| 18 | FRIENDS LIKE THESE | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 8.0 | 3 444 378 | 31.96% |
| 19 | REAL GOBOZA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 7.9 | 3 378 395 | 28.14% |
| 20 | SKEEM SAAM -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 7.5 | 3 222 932 | 50.81% |
| 21 | SKEEM SAAM | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 7.2 | 3 076 288 | 23.90% |
| 22 | EMZINI WEZINSIZWA -R | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 7.1 | 3 038 404 | 47.29% |
| 23 | STUMBO STOMP AMAPANSTULA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 6.8 | 2 912 830 | 27.78% |
| 24 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 6.7 | 2 859 977 | 46.34% |
| 25 | NEWS | e.tv | News | News | 6.5 | 2 793 721 | 20.88% |
| 26 | NEXT OF NEXT WEEK | e.tv | Advertisement | Advertisement | 6.4 | 2 742 601 | 22.65% |
| 27 | LOTTO DRAW LIVE | e.tv | Competition | Competition | 6.4 | 2 730 988 | 25.37% |
| 28 | KHUMBUL’ EKHAYA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 6.2 | 2 675 393 | 21.98% |
| 29 | MODERN FAMILY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 6.1 | 2 599 886 | 19.86% |
| 30 | WWE MONEY IN THE BANK | e.tv | Sport | Wrestling | 6.0 | 2 576 850 | 37.63% |
| 31 | SPEED | e.tv | Movies | Action/adventure | 5.9 | 2 552 554 | 22.60% |
| 32 | K’SHUBILE | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 5.8 | 2 500 540 | 21.66% |
| 33 | GENERATIONS -R | SABC 1 | Soap opera | Local | 5.8 | 2 470 672 | 44.50% |
| 34 | SKWIZAS | SABC 2 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 5.7 | 2 452 384 | 19.33% |
| 35 | WWE WRESTLING RAW | e.tv | Sport | Wrestling | 5.6 | 2 416 966 | 30.10% |
| 36 | SUNDAY LIVE | SABC 1 | Actuality | Actuality | 5.6 | 2 402 243 | 18.36% |
| 37 | GA BOSE GANGWE | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 5.5 | 2 344 858 | 21.83% |
| 38 | 7DE LAAN | SABC 2 | Soap opera | Local | 5.5 | 2 343 433 | 18.26% |
| 39 | BEETHOVEN’S 4TH | SABC 2 | Movies | Family | 5.4 | 2 327 243 | 28.35% |
| 40 | SPEAK OUT | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 5.3 | 2 290 500 | 21.12% |
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 | 16.6 | 2 243 896 | 48.15% |
| 2 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 9.3 | 1 256 373 | 29.80% |
| 3 | ISIBAYA | Mzansi Magic | Variety | Variety | 7.6 | 1 029 867 | 23.03% |
| 4 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 7.0 | 952 332 | 20.49% |
| 5 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 6.5 | 874 189 | 23.10% |
| 6 | RHYTHM CITY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 5.7 | 774 946 | 17.89% |
| 7 | ZAZIWA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 5.7 | 774 214 | 16.03% |
| 8 | SES’TOP LA | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 5.6 | 754 719 | 15.90% |
| 9 | IDOLS YR 10 | Mzansi Magic | Reality | Reality | 5.5 | 747 228 | 19.23% |
| 10 | MFOLOZI STREET | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.4 | 735 326 | 16.43% |
| 11 | SHREDS AND DREAMS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.4 | 728 292 | 16.63% |
| 12 | STICKS AND STONES | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.2 | 700 771 | 15.58% |
| 13 | SPEAK OUT | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 5.0 | 669 373 | 18.24% |
| 14 | NEWS | e.tv | News | News | 4.7 | 636 628 | 14.19% |
| 15 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 4.6 | 623 646 | 13.81% |
| 16 | 7DE LAAN | SABC 2 | Soap opera | Local | 4.6 | 621 165 | 14.38% |
| 17 | SOUL CITY | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.5 | 610 630 | 13.42% |
| 18 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 4.3 | 584 440 | 13.12% |
| 19 | KHUMBUL’ EKHAYA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 4.0 | 546 203 | 13.61% |
| 20 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 4.0 | 545 516 | 12.10% |
| 21 | NEXT OF NEXT WEEK | e.tv | Advertisement | Advertisement | 4.0 | 542 058 | 12.72% |
| 22 | IHAWU | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 3.8 | 513 979 | 11.39% |
| 23 | REAL GOBOZA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 3.7 | 500 690 | 12.19% |
| 24 | GA BOSE GANGWE | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 3.6 | 481 409 | 13.57% |
| 25 | OUR PERFECT WEDDING (MAG) | Mzansi Magic | Magazine | Magazine | 3.5 | 471 121 | 10.75% |
| 26 | THERE’S A ZULU ON MY STOEP | e.tv | Movies | Comedy | 3.4 | 455 846 | 11.46% |
| 27 | SPY KIDS III:GAME OVER | e.tv | Movies | Family | 3.0 | 406 886 | 10.76% |
| 28 | FRIENDS LIKE THESE | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 2.9 | 396 251 | 10.26% |
| 29 | LOTTO DRAW LIVE | e.tv | Competition | Competition | 2.9 | 395 513 | 10.77% |
| 30 | WWE MONEY IN THE BANK | e.tv | Sport | Wrestling | 2.9 | 392 896 | 14.98% |
| 31 | ISIDINGO:THE NEED | SABC 3 | Soap opera | Local | 2.9 | 387 623 | 8.54% |
| 32 | SKEEM SAAM -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 2.9 | 386 879 | 18.01% |
| 33 | THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL | SABC 3 | Soap opera | International | 2.8 | 381 705 | 10.06% |
| 34 | SPEED | e.tv | Movies | Action/adventure | 2.8 | 377 653 | 10.24% |
| 35 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 2.8 | 374 633 | 18.24% |
| 36 | VODACOM MILLIONAIRES | e.tv | Competition | Competition | 2.7 | 366 012 | 9.39% |
| 37 | SKEEM SAAM | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 2.7 | 365 077 | 8.44% |
| 38 | CARTE BLANCHE | M-Net | Actuality | Actuality | 2.6 | 354 836 | 7.77% |
| 39 | SKWIZAS | SABC 2 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 2.6 | 354 181 | 7.83% |
| 40 | NOOT VIR NOOT | SABC 2 | Music | Music | 2.6 | 351 947 | 7.92% |
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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