by SAARF & MarkLives (@marklives) 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 Charts: 11 August– 17 August 2014
National
| 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 | 23.7 | 10 179 013 | 71.50% |
| 2 | MFOLOZI STREET | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 16.9 | 7 247 744 | 54.77% |
| 3 | SOUL CITY | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 15.9 | 6 822 616 | 51.65% |
| 4 | MR BONES | SABC 1 | Movies | COMEDY | 13.9 | 5 967 444 | 50.79% |
| 5 | STICKS AND STONES | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 13.0 | 5 558 363 | 39.64% |
| 6 | SHREDS AND DREAMS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 12.8 | 5 479 784 | 41.11% |
| 7 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 12.6 | 5 394 970 | 44.59% |
| 8 | ZAZIWA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 11.2 | 4 811 682 | 34.18% |
| 9 | SES’TOP LA | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 11.0 | 4 733 466 | 33.85% |
| 10 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 10.7 | 4 577 486 | 34.95% |
| 11 | FRIENDS LIKE THESE | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 10.5 | 4 519 008 | 39.44% |
| 12 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 10.4 | 4 442 676 | 32.22% |
| 13 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 10.3 | 4 401 198 | 32.51% |
| 14 | IHAWU | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 10.0 | 4 311 082 | 34.67% |
| 15 | REAL GOBOZA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 10.0 | 4 290 186 | 32.91% |
| 16 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 10.0 | 4 280 792 | 32.39% |
| 17 | MTN 8 PLATINUM STARS VS KAIZER CHIEFS | SABC 1 | Sport | FOOTBALL(SOCCER) | 9.6 | 4 134 345 | 36.40% |
| 18 | SKEEM SAAM | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 9.5 | 4 079 465 | 33.36% |
| 19 | 1’S AND 2’S SHOW | SABC 1 | Music | Music | 9.5 | 4 076 911 | 30.56% |
| 20 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 8.7 | 3 736 853 | 36.35% |
| 21 | SUNDAY LIVE | SABC 1 | Actuality | Actuality | 8.2 | 3 512 779 | 26.46% |
| 22 | MADAGASCAR | e.tv | Movies | ANIMATION | 7.7 | 3 311 237 | 26.41% |
| 23 | RHYTHM CITY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 7.2 | 3 077 676 | 25.13% |
| 24 | SPEAK OUT | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 6.5 | 2 804 557 | 33.35% |
| 25 | MTN 8 BIDVEST WITS VS ORLANDO PIRATES | SABC 1 | Sport | FOOTBALL(SOCCER) | 6.5 | 2 794 925 | 32.19% |
| 26 | FAN BASE | SABC 1 | Music | Music | 6.5 | 2 773 806 | 28.26% |
| 27 | SKEEM SAAM -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 6.4 | 2 746 669 | 58.15% |
| 28 | STUMBO STOMP AMAPANSTULA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 6.1 | 2 618 318 | 26.75% |
| 29 | K’SHUBILE | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 6.0 | 2 556 290 | 22.33% |
| 30 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.9 | 2 537 715 | 53.61% |
| 31 | ISIDINGO:THE NEED | SABC 3 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 5.8 | 2 487 914 | 18.72% |
| 32 | EMZINI WEZINSIZWA -R | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 5.8 | 2 480 852 | 53.49% |
| 33 | GENERATIONS -O | SABC 1 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 5.6 | 2 410 461 | 34.40% |
| 34 | THE LINK (MAGA) | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 5.6 | 2 403 820 | 23.69% |
| 35 | KHUMBUL’ EKHAYA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 5.5 | 2 350 670 | 20.93% |
| 36 | 100% YOUTH | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 5.5 | 2 346 048 | 23.05% |
| 37 | LOTTO DRAW LIVE | e.tv | Competition | Competition | 5.3 | 2 294 082 | 20.49% |
| 38 | GA BOSE GANGWE | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 5.3 | 2 274 074 | 25.44% |
| 39 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 5.3 | 2 269 601 | 36.13% |
| 40 | THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL | SABC 3 | Soap opera | INTERNATIONAL | 5.3 | 2 261 489 | 22.90% |
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 | 2 238 839 | 50.56% |
| 2 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 9.5 | 1 286 319 | 32.78% |
| 3 | MR BONES | SABC 1 | Movies | COMEDY | 7.7 | 1 041 438 | 26.38% |
| 4 | ISIBAYA | Mzansi Magic | Variety | Variety | 7.0 | 943 657 | 22.08% |
| 5 | MFOLOZI STREET | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 6.7 | 911 198 | 20.97% |
| 6 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 6.7 | 903 615 | 20.80% |
| 7 | SOUL CITY | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 6.2 | 835 891 | 19.85% |
| 8 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 5.8 | 788 142 | 23.14% |
| 9 | ZAZIWA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 5.7 | 776 917 | 17.79% |
| 10 | SPEAK OUT | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 5.6 | 753 683 | 25.50% |
| 11 | RHYTHM CITY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 5.3 | 720 400 | 18.47% |
| 12 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 5.3 | 718 237 | 17.19% |
| 13 | SES’TOP LA | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 5.3 | 711 088 | 15.91% |
| 14 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 5.1 | 689 972 | 16.42% |
| 15 | SHREDS AND DREAMS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.0 | 677 337 | 15.66% |
| 16 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 5.0 | 674 982 | 15.75% |
| 17 | 1’S AND 2’S SHOW | SABC 1 | Music | Music | 4.9 | 660 125 | 15.57% |
| 18 | REAL GOBOZA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 4.4 | 596 648 | 13.82% |
| 19 | STICKS AND STONES | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.4 | 594 065 | 13.70% |
| 20 | FRIENDS LIKE THESE | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 4.2 | 566 039 | 14.11% |
| 21 | 7DE LAAN | SABC 2 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 4.1 | 550 880 | 14.17% |
| 22 | SKEEM SAAM | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 3.9 | 522 038 | 13.41% |
| 23 | MTN 8 PLATINUM STARS VS KAIZER CHIEFS | SuperSport 4 | Sport | FOOTBALL(SOCCER) | 3.6 | 487 243 | 13.21% |
| 24 | NEWS | e.tv | News | News | 3.6 | 487 079 | 12.20% |
| 25 | MADAGASCAR | e.tv | Movies | ANIMATION | 3.6 | 479 880 | 11.68% |
| 26 | IHAWU | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 3.5 | 477 232 | 11.79% |
| 27 | KHUMBUL’ EKHAYA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 3.5 | 474 946 | 12.97% |
| 28 | GA BOSE GANGWE | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 3.4 | 457 068 | 15.15% |
| 29 | MTN 8 PLATINUM STARS VS KAIZER CHIEFS | SABC 1 | Sport | FOOTBALL(SOCCER) | 3.4 | 454 291 | 11.99% |
| 30 | SKEEM SAAM -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 3.3 | 451 087 | 29.79% |
| 31 | ISIDINGO:THE NEED | SABC 3 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 3.3 | 444 658 | 10.59% |
| 32 | OUR PERFECT WEDDING (MAG) | Mzansi Magic | Magazine | Magazine | 3.2 | 434 557 | 10.05% |
| 33 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 3.1 | 425 359 | 28.48% |
| 34 | THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL | SABC 3 | Soap opera | INTERNATIONAL | 3.1 | 425 141 | 12.73% |
| 35 | GENERATIONS -R | SABC 1 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 3.1 | 417 812 | 29.52% |
| 36 | TAKEN | e.tv | Movies | CRIME/THRILLER | 3.0 | 399 688 | 9.90% |
| 37 | LOTTO DRAW LIVE | e.tv | Competition | Competition | 2.9 | 388 127 | 10.51% |
| 38 | SAINTS AND SINNERS[DRAMA] | Mzansi Magic | Drama | Drama | 2.8 | 380 633 | 9.61% |
| 39 | GENERATIONS -O | SABC 1 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 2.7 | 370 186 | 14.39% |
| 40 | MTN 8 BIDVEST WITS VS ORLANDO PIRATES | SABC 1 | Sport | FOOTBALL(SOCCER) | 2.7 | 367 336 | 11.11% |
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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