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.
We reveal the best-watched shows of the week before (in this case, 22–28 September 2014), where they ran and how many South Africans tuned in to watch.
We offer two tables:
- The first covers all households — free-to-air viewing (the various SABC channels and e.tv), as well as the DStv platform.
- The second charts the best-watched shows on the DStv network of channels only.
SAARF/MarkLives #Top40TVratings Charts: 22–28 September 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 | 24.0 | 10 315 115 | 73.69% |
| 2 | MFOLOZI STREET | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 16.7 | 7 146 844 | 52.84% |
| 3 | SOUL CITY | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 15.5 | 6 652 353 | 49.51% |
| 4 | SHREDS AND DREAMS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 13.6 | 5 851 731 | 45.90% |
| 5 | STICKS AND STONES | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 12.8 | 5 473 993 | 41.33% |
| 6 | SES’TOP LA | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 12.3 | 5 287 501 | 38.53% |
| 7 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 12.0 | 5 159 636 | 43.22% |
| 8 | SKEEM SAAM | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 11.5 | 4 935 756 | 42.43% |
| 9 | ZAZIWA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 11.4 | 4 905 037 | 36.64% |
| 10 | IHAWU | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 11.4 | 4 893 649 | 39.13% |
| 11 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 11.0 | 4 732 362 | 37.13% |
| 12 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 11.0 | 4 725 436 | 35.09% |
| 13 | 1’S AND 2’S SHOW | SABC 1 | Music | Music | 9.8 | 4 183 180 | 33.58% |
| 14 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 9.7 | 4 157 601 | 34.26% |
| 15 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 9.3 | 4 010 979 | 30.05% |
| 16 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 8.8 | 3 775 290 | 36.16% |
| 17 | REAL GOBOZA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 8.6 | 3 694 159 | 32.37% |
| 18 | THE X FACTOR SOUTH AFRICA | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 8.1 | 3 475 189 | 36.20% |
| 19 | WWE WRESTLING RAW | e.tv | Sport | WRESTLING | 8.0 | 3 434 385 | 35.07% |
| 20 | SPEAK OUT | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 7.5 | 3 199 121 | 38.42% |
| 21 | AVATAR (MOVIE) | e.tv | Movies | FANTASY | 7.2 | 3 077 012 | 37.86% |
| 22 | SA’S GOT TALENT | e.tv | Variety | Variety | 6.8 | 2 917 968 | 26.68% |
| 23 | SKEEM SAAM -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 6.7 | 2 878 170 | 54.91% |
| 24 | MODERN FAMILY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 6.3 | 2 708 465 | 22.02% |
| 25 | STUMBO STOMP AMAPANSTULA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 6.3 | 2 687 704 | 30.49% |
| 26 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 6.2 | 2 666 077 | 50.65% |
| 27 | KHUMBUL’ EKHAYA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 6.2 | 2 663 318 | 25.70% |
| 28 | VELAPHI -R | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 6.2 | 2 641 167 | 50.17% |
| 29 | EKASI OUR STORIES:UXOLO | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 6.0 | 2 563 388 | 23.75% |
| 30 | THE LINK (MAGA) | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 5.9 | 2 511 079 | 26.21% |
| 31 | ISIDINGO:THE NEED | SABC 3 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 5.8 | 2 492 296 | 19.60% |
| 32 | NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM:BATTLE OF THE SMITHSONIAN | e.tv | Movies | ACTION/ADVENTURE | 5.8 | 2 491 764 | 24.27% |
| 33 | GENERATIONS -O | SABC 1 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 5.7 | 2 440 749 | 37.14% |
| 34 | TAKE ME OUT SA | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 5.7 | 2 428 972 | 23.37% |
| 35 | GENERATIONS -R | SABC 1 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 5.7 | 2 424 773 | 49.42% |
| 36 | NOW OR NEVER -R | SABC 1 | Documentary | Documentary | 5.6 | 2 397 185 | 34.00% |
| 37 | MOHLOLAHADI | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 5.4 | 2 330 409 | 26.07% |
| 38 | FAN BASE | SABC 1 | Music | Music | 5.4 | 2 308 753 | 26.50% |
| 39 | ABSA PREMIERSHIP BLOEMFONTEIN CELTIC VS SUPERSPORT UNITED | SABC 1 | Sport | FOOTBALL(SOCCER) | 5.3 | 2 279 083 | 22.69% |
| 40 | KHUMBUL’ EKHAYA -R | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 4.8 | 2 055 686 | 28.86% |
DStv
| 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 | 17.8 | 2 401 914 | 54.45% |
| 2 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 9.6 | 1 297 559 | 33.47% |
| 3 | ISIBAYA | Mzansi Magic | Variety | Variety | 7.1 | 965 324 | 22.92% |
| 4 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 6.8 | 922 806 | 20.47% |
| 5 | SPEAK OUT | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 6.8 | 920 237 | 30.13% |
| 6 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 6.6 | 889 421 | 20.67% |
| 7 | MFOLOZI STREET | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 6.5 | 884 628 | 19.98% |
| 8 | SES’TOP LA | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 6.4 | 858 360 | 19.52% |
| 9 | ZAZIWA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 6.2 | 841 292 | 19.77% |
| 10 | SKEEM SAAM | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.8 | 786 761 | 19.87% |
| 11 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 5.6 | 760 291 | 21.80% |
| 12 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 5.6 | 755 265 | 18.02% |
| 13 | SOUL CITY | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.4 | 734 915 | 16.45% |
| 14 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 4.9 | 655 524 | 15.77% |
| 15 | STICKS AND STONES | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.8 | 653 316 | 15.94% |
| 16 | SHREDS AND DREAMS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.8 | 648 802 | 16.44% |
| 17 | RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP 2014: SOUTH AFRICA VS AUSTRALIA | SuperSport 1 | Sport | RUGBY(ALL) | 4.6 | 626 287 | 18.62% |
| 18 | OUR PERFECT WEDDING (MAG) | Mzansi Magic | Magazine | Magazine | 4.5 | 609 341 | 15.36% |
| 19 | ABSA PREMIERSHIP KAIZER CHIEFS VS MARAITZBURG UNITED | SuperSport 4 | Sport | FOOTBALL(SOCCER) | 4.1 | 552 671 | 16.36% |
| 20 | KHUMBUL’ EKHAYA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 4.1 | 551 139 | 16.38% |
| 21 | IHAWU | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.1 | 549 963 | 13.10% |
| 22 | REAL GOBOZA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 4.0 | 545 876 | 14.11% |
| 23 | 1’S AND 2’S SHOW | SABC 1 | Music | Music | 4.0 | 545 009 | 13.78% |
| 24 | SKEEM SAAM -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.0 | 535 189 | 29.14% |
| 25 | 7DE LAAN | SABC 2 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 3.9 | 532 859 | 13.61% |
| 26 | WWE WRESTLING RAW | e.tv | Sport | WRESTLING | 3.8 | 517 331 | 14.23% |
| 27 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 3.7 | 501 432 | 27.22% |
| 28 | ISIDINGO:THE NEED | SABC 3 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 3.7 | 493 991 | 11.73% |
| 29 | GENERATIONS -R | SABC 1 | Soap opera | LOCAL | 3.4 | 457 564 | 26.10% |
| 30 | RHYTHM CITY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 3.3 | 445 077 | 11.28% |
| 31 | NEWS | e.tv | News | News | 3.1 | 425 035 | 11.24% |
| 32 | MOHLOLAHADI | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 3.1 | 417 502 | 13.89% |
| 33 | VELAPHI -R | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 2.9 | 398 157 | 21.57% |
| 34 | TRANSPORTER 2 | M-Net Movies Action | Movies | ACTION/ADVENTURE | 2.9 | 393 763 | 9.68% |
| 35 | THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL | SABC 3 | Soap opera | INTERNATIONAL | 2.8 | 384 430 | 11.51% |
| 36 | EKASI OUR STORIES:UXOLO | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 2.8 | 377 593 | 10.84% |
| 37 | SA’S GOT TALENT | e.tv | Variety | Variety | 2.8 | 374 335 | 9.66% |
| 38 | THE X FACTOR SOUTH AFRICA | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 2.7 | 369 199 | 10.53% |
| 39 | TAKE ME OUT SA | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 2.6 | 347 665 | 9.44% |
| 40 | AVATAR (MOVIE) | e.tv | Movies | FANTASY | 2.5 | 339 830 | 11.49% |
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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