by SAARF & MarkLives (@marklives) South Africa has a new top-ranked TV show, following the hiatus of Generations — found out more as we reveal the best-watched shows of the week before (in this case, 6–12 October 2014), where they ran and how many South Africans tuned in to watch!
It remains to be seen, though, whether SABC 1’s Skeem Saam will have the same dominance of market share as Generations has had in the past, as there are a couple of factors at play.
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 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: 6–12 October 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 | SKEEM SAAM | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 21.3 | 9 117 190 | 66.00% |
| 2 | MFOLOZI STREET | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 16.1 | 6 899 331 | 51.20% |
| 3 | SOUL CITY | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 14.2 | 6 098 118 | 47.64% |
| 4 | STICKS AND STONES | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 13.7 | 5 860 106 | 43.53% |
| 5 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 12.3 | 5 263 376 | 43.59% |
| 6 | SHREDS AND DREAMS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 11.8 | 5 082 589 | 39.48% |
| 7 | SES’TOP LA | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 11.2 | 4 818 346 | 35.96% |
| 8 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 10.7 | 4 588 367 | 35.29% |
| 9 | IHAWU | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 10.4 | 4 480 861 | 34.97% |
| 10 | 12 ROUNDS | e.tv | Movies | Action/adventure | 9.6 | 4 130 793 | 40.22% |
| 11 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 9.4 | 4 019 468 | 30.48% |
| 12 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 9.2 | 3 959 670 | 31.86% |
| 13 | ZAZIWA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 9.2 | 3 930 804 | 29.52% |
| 14 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 9.1 | 3 894 067 | 32.91% |
| 15 | ROOTS | SABC 1 | Music | Music | 9.0 | 3 865 769 | 36.73% |
| 16 | 1’S AND 2’S SHOW | SABC 1 | Music | Music | 8.8 | 3 775 347 | 29.33% |
| 17 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 8.3 | 3 572 015 | 34.73% |
| 18 | NGEMPELA | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 8.1 | 3 477 606 | 31.06% |
| 19 | SKEEM SAAM -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 8.1 | 3 462 317 | 52.91% |
| 20 | VELAPHI -R | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 8.0 | 3 451 298 | 51.78% |
| 21 | ORANGE AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS QUALIFIER:CONGO VS SOUTH AFRICA | SABC 1 | Sport | Football (soccer) | 7.8 | 3 339 838 | 35.48% |
| 22 | REAL GOBOZA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 7.8 | 3 329 966 | 28.40% |
| 23 | THE X FACTOR SOUTH AFRICA | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 7.3 | 3 126 980 | 27.68% |
| 24 | KHUMBUL’ EKHAYA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 6.9 | 2 966 939 | 26.52% |
| 25 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 6.8 | 2 908 035 | 45.70% |
| 26 | SPEAK OUT | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 6.8 | 2 898 080 | 29.74% |
| 27 | FAN BASE | SABC 1 | Music | Music | 6.7 | 2 873 963 | 29.63% |
| 28 | MODERN FAMILY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 6.4 | 2 743 043 | 23.45% |
| 29 | MACUFE CUP:BLOEMFONTEIN CELTICS VS KAIZER CHIEFS | SABC 1 | Sport | Football (soccer) | 6.3 | 2 723 845 | 33.78% |
| 30 | NGEMPELA -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 6.3 | 2 716 905 | 46.02% |
| 31 | CUTTING EDGE -R | SABC 1 | Actuality | Actuality | 6.3 | 2 706 296 | 39.99% |
| 32 | SA’S GOT TALENT | e.tv | Variety | Variety | 6.3 | 2 682 989 | 26.88% |
| 33 | ISIDINGO:THE NEED | SABC 3 | Soap opera | Local | 6.2 | 2 662 097 | 21.49% |
| 34 | STUMBO STOMP AMAPANSTULA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 6.0 | 2 582 345 | 30.04% |
| 35 | WIPEOUT | SABC 2 | Competition | Competition | 5.8 | 2 471 802 | 21.52% |
| 36 | WWE NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS | e.tv | Sport | Wrestling | 5.7 | 2 427 786 | 33.77% |
| 37 | WWE WRESTLING RAW | e.tv | Sport | Wrestling | 5.6 | 2 394 032 | 26.36% |
| 38 | ISIDINGO -R | SABC 1 | Soap opera | Local | 5.5 | 2 356 478 | 44.89% |
| 39 | CUTTING EDGE | SABC 1 | Actuality | Actuality | 5.5 | 2 351 168 | 24.04% |
| 40 | THE LINK (MAGA) | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 5.4 | 2 327 433 | 26.15% |
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 | SKEEM SAAM | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 14.8 | 1 999 552 | 44.97% |
| 2 | MUVHANGO | SABC 2 | Drama | Drama | 10.1 | 1 370 102 | 33.61% |
| 3 | ISIBAYA | Mzansi Magic | Variety | Variety | 7.4 | 997 305 | 22.89% |
| 4 | SCANDAL | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 7.0 | 940 441 | 21.65% |
| 5 | SELIMATHUNZI | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 6.5 | 877 468 | 20.34% |
| 6 | SPEAK OUT | SABC 2 | Actuality | Actuality | 5.8 | 780 095 | 22.39% |
| 7 | POWERBALL | SABC 2 | Variety | Variety | 5.7 | 770 792 | 21.25% |
| 8 | SES’TOP LA | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 5.5 | 748 488 | 17.31% |
| 9 | MFOLOZI STREET | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 5.4 | 734 251 | 17.06% |
| 10 | ZAZIWA | SABC 1 | Variety | Variety | 5.0 | 678 620 | 15.22% |
| 11 | SOUL CITY | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.9 | 666 064 | 15.39% |
| 12 | ZULU NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 4.9 | 661 135 | 16.04% |
| 13 | ORANGE AFRICA CUP OF NATIONS QUALIFIER:CONGO VS SOUTH AFRICA | SABC 1 | Sport | Football (soccer) | 4.9 | 660 015 | 18.91% |
| 14 | ROOTS | SABC 1 | Music | Music | 4.7 | 638 856 | 16.34% |
| 15 | XHOSA NEWS | SABC 1 | News | News | 4.7 | 635 656 | 15.13% |
| 16 | STICKS AND STONES | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.6 | 627 173 | 14.66% |
| 17 | 1’S AND 2’S SHOW | SABC 1 | Music | Music | 4.6 | 623 934 | 14.49% |
| 18 | KHUMBUL’ EKHAYA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 4.6 | 616 359 | 16.69% |
| 19 | RHYTHM CITY | e.tv | Drama | Drama | 4.5 | 605 360 | 15.85% |
| 20 | 12 ROUNDS | e.tv | Movies | Action/adventure | 4.4 | 590 774 | 15.50% |
| 21 | THE X FACTOR SOUTH AFRICA | SABC 1 | Reality | Reality | 4.3 | 575 316 | 14.17% |
| 22 | SHREDS AND DREAMS | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.2 | 570 336 | 13.11% |
| 23 | MACUFE CUP:BLOEMFONTEIN CELTICS VS KAIZER CHIEFS | SABC 1 | Sport | Football (soccer) | 4.1 | 548 507 | 17.82% |
| 24 | REAL GOBOZA | SABC 1 | Magazine | Magazine | 4.0 | 545 500 | 13.17% |
| 25 | IHAWU | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.0 | 542 653 | 11.99% |
| 26 | 7DE LAAN | SABC 2 | Soap opera | Local | 4.0 | 535 782 | 14.05% |
| 27 | SKEEM SAAM -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 4.0 | 533 861 | 23.43% |
| 28 | ISIDINGO:THE NEED | SABC 3 | Soap opera | Local | 3.9 | 532 937 | 12.77% |
| 29 | ABSA CURRIE CUP 2014:W PROVINCE VS SHARKS | SuperSport 1 | Sport | Rugby (all) | 3.6 | 482 371 | 13.07% |
| 30 | VELAPHI -R | SABC 1 | Sitcom | Sitcom | 3.3 | 447 127 | 19.35% |
| 31 | NGEMPELA | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 3.2 | 430 650 | 11.27% |
| 32 | MUVHANGO -R | SABC 1 | Drama | Drama | 3.0 | 407 197 | 18.38% |
| 33 | HOMEFRONT(MOVIES) | M-Net | Movies | Action/adventure | 3.0 | 406 692 | 10.07% |
| 34 | CARTE BLANCHE | M-Net | Actuality | Actuality | 3.0 | 401 789 | 9.33% |
| 35 | THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL | SABC 3 | Soap opera | International | 2.9 | 396 886 | 11.73% |
| 36 | OUR PERFECT WEDDING (MAG) | Mzansi Magic | Magazine | Magazine | 2.9 | 391 864 | 9.68% |
| 37 | CUTTING EDGE | SABC 1 | Actuality | Actuality | 2.8 | 384 102 | 10.99% |
| 38 | NEWS | e.tv | News | News | 2.8 | 374 919 | 10.25% |
| 39 | WWE NIGHT OF CHAMPIONS | e.tv | Sport | Wrestling | 2.8 | 371 868 | 13.11% |
| 40 | FAN BASE | SABC 1 | Music | Music | 2.7 | 369 875 | 10.41% |
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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