By: Natasha Archary
Local TV has become too boring for South African viewers who have shown a lack of interest in the repetitive programming on offer and a lack of diversity on-screen.
Mandla N, Founder of Black Brain Pictures joins Gugulethu Mfuphi on Kaya Biz to share the latest insight on local TV viewership figures from January 2021 to December 2023.
Gone are the days when South Africans used to have a date with their TVs every weekday nights, as they tuned in for family favourites such as Isidingo, 7de laan, Generations, and City Ses’la.
The culture of watching TV has shifted phenomenally in South Africa, as more people are moving across to streaming platforms where they can choose from either local or international options at their own leisure.
Declining viewership numbers has meant many titles of local TV shows have had to conclude early, which might be why numbers are dwindling even further.
Cuts in the production budgets might have impacted the market in terms of the standard of the content being completed. That and the fact that Netflix set aside R929 million to invest in South Africa’s flim and TV industry, may have impacted the local TV market negatively.
According to the Market Research Foundation, South Africans are kissing TV goodbye.
The latest MAPS data overview for the above period shows a marked decline in TV viewership in the country.
At the same time, South African viewership of streaming services has increased, although not as steeply as the decline in TV viewership. The Market Research Foundation’s MAPS data comes from annual surveys of a sample of the South African population.
Listen to the conversation on Kaya Biz:
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