by Thinus Ferreira
As shocked and horrified South Africans - together with the world - looked on at the looting and destruction in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng on 12 July, enough viewers decided to switch to Newzroom Afrika for the channel to dethrone eNCA as the most-watched TV news channel during a national crisis event.
The 2-year old South African TV news channel that replaced Afro Worldview and that competes with SABC News (DStv 404) and eMedia's eNCA (DStv 403), experienced a surge of pay-TV viewers on Monday 12 July - as did all TV news bulletins, across channels and broadcasters, in various South African languages.
The influx of DStv subscribers to Newzroom Afrika was enough to push it to the top of the TV news ratings in the month with its compelling mix of live on-the-ground reporting of the looting, violence and destruction that gripped parts of South Africa for days during mid-July.
Newzroom Afrika's ascendancy in the TV ratings race - coupled with ongoing talent defections from SABC News and eNCA to Newzroom Afrika ranging from Vaylen Kirtley as new sports editor to anchor Thembekile Mrototo - is not just eating away at the established channels' ratings during various programming dayparts but is also impacting on the setting of the news agenda with all 3 channels constantly monitoring where and what stories each channel is reporting on, how, and which guests they have on.
On Monday 12 July Newsfeed with Stephen Grootes on Newzroom Afrika led the South African TV news ratings race for the month with the 2-hour programming block from 15:00 in the afternoon on the channel that lured 501 728 (1.3 AR / 7 share) viewers as the most-watched news channel show in July.
That day's edition of Newzfeed with Stephen Grootes was the 22nd most-watched and highest-rated TV news show on MultiChoice's DStv service for the month of July and the first time that Newzroom Afrika had such a ratings victory that is a new highwater-mark viewership success for the channel.
This was closely followed by Newzroom Afrika's Daytime Update block between 12:00 and 15:00 on the same day that lured 470 324 (1.22 AR / 6.9 share) viewers, giving the channel a second notch and bragging rights on the month's ratings ladder.
It means that Newzroom Afrika is the only TV news channel that made the list of Top 30 most-watched pay-TV shows in July in the country - and did so twice.
It's also astounding that Newzroom Afrika managed the ratings feat during the afternoon when the potential viewership audience is smaller, effectively pulled it off as a connected 5-hour programming strand, and managed to increase both viewers and the percentage of audience share as its programming continued into the afternoon.
An interesting sidenote: More pay-TV viewers watched Newzfeed with Stephen Grootes on 12 July on DStv than watched any 2020 Tokyo Olympics coverage on SABC3 during July.
Lockdown and looting leads to a TV news surge
With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and South Africa in the grip of a third wave of infections and deaths due to the contagious coronavirus, as well as the unfolding unrest and looting, extremely anxious South African viewers showed a very strong affinity to watch TV news during July.
Viewers actively sought out news above entertainment programming.
The Zulu news bulletin on SABC1 surged to 4.6 million viewers (12.11 AR / 36.4 share) viewers in July as the 5th most-watched programme on South African television for the month with the 12 July broadcast recording the most viewers.
This was followed by the Xhosa TV news bulletin on SABC1 on 13 July with 4.49 million viewers (11.62 AR / 35.2 share) as the 6th most-watched programme on TV for the month.
Compare this with June when the Zulu news had 3.9 million viewers and the Xhosa news on SABC1 had 3.8 million viewers.
President Cyril Ramaphosa's address to the nation to announce that South Africa is moving to an adjusted Level 3 lockdown on 25 July propelled his speech to the most-watched "show" on SABC2 for the month, and the 4th most-watched on all of South African television with 5.84 million viewers (15.09 AR / 44.8 share) who tuned in.
Millions of viewers were once again glued to SABC2 when Cyril Ramaphosa spoke on 12 July to address the public violence with 3.7 million viewers (9.57 AR / 28.4 share), and again when he made a speech on 16 July about the looting that drew 4.17 million viewers (10.78 AR / 32.4 share).
Add another 1.7 million viewers who watched president Cyril Ramaphosa and his speech on 12 July on e.tv, and another 3.19 million who watched his speech on e.tv on 11 July.
Collectively Cyril Ramaphosa's three live speeches were the most-watched, third and 5th most-watched programmes on SABC2 for the month.
The Setswana TV news bulletin on SABC2 surged on 12 July to an absolutely incredible 2.6 million viewers (6.95 AR / 19.9 share) - up from 768 544 viewers in June.
The Afrikaans TV news on SABC2 climbed to 1.19 million viewers (3.1 AR / 10.9 share) for its most-watched edition during July, up from 872 537 viewers in June.
On SABC3 the 18:00 English TV news bulletin on 11 July was the second most-watched show on the channel for July with 766 334 viewers (1.98 AR / 7.8 share), up from 501 083 viewers and several ratings places in June.
On e.tv, the South Africa Tonight TV news bulletin lured 1.88 million viewers (4.86 AR / 16.6 share) on 11 July as anxious viewers tuned in.
