It was a more than fitting TV farewell for Noxolo Grootboom whose TV news reading swansong on 30 March drew a massive 3.82 million viewers on the evening of 30 March who all tuned in to see her do her last SABC News Iindaba TV news bulletin on South African television.
Noxolo Grootboom decided to retire after a career-spanning 37 years at the South African public broadcaster that went through a restructuring and retrenchment process in which 621 staffers lost their jobs at the end of March.
The beloved and highly-respected SABC News personality - who became famous for her isiXhosa bulletin sign-off closer, "Ndinithanda nonke emakhaya" that can loosely be translated as "I love you all at home" - bid farewell to a very large TV audience, with 3 823 686 viewers who tuned in to the 19:00 isiXhosa TV news bulletin on SABC1.
Noxolo Grootboom's 3.82 million viewers represent 9.88 ARs, with a 33 share. It means that 1 out of every 3 TV sets that were on during the 19:00 timeslot, were tuned to watch her and SABC1.
For even more context to her ratings smash swansong, Noxolo Grootboom's final TV news bulletin was the 7th most-watched programme for March 2021 in all of South African television, and the 4th most-watched show for March on all of SABC1.
Only Uzalo (8.14 million) and Generations - The Legacy (6.45 million) on SABC1, followed by Scandal! (5.22 million) on e.tv, Skeem Saam (4.83 million) on SABC1, and Imbewu (3.92 million) and Rhythm City (3.86 million) both on e.tv, drew more viewers than Noxolo Grootboom's final TV news bulletin during the month.
Noxolo Grootboom who grew up in Fort Beaufort in the rural Eastern Cape and got her name (mother of peace) from her grandparents, started her career at the SABC as a typist.
She climbed the career ladder inside the SABC's Auckland Park headquarters where she eventually made her way on-air as the widely-respected and beloved isiXhosa TV news anchor for over two decades while she also worked behind-the-scenes as an editor in the output section.
