by Thinus Ferreira
The South African public broadcaster plans to dump Afrikaans from March 2024, with its only Afrikaans actuality magazine show Fokus cancelled, and the Afrikaans TV news bulletin and other Afrikaans shows like Voetspore shunted to SABC3 that has much smaller channel reach.
It's exactly the same plan the SABC had a decade ago in July 2014 to move Afrikaans from SABC2 to the smaller SABC3.
Caroline Phalakatshela, SABC TV publicist, confirmed to Netwerk24 that the SABC has cancelled Fokus since it "no longer fits in" with SABC2 and the broadcaster's plan to move Afrikaans shows to SABC3 from March as part of a strategic decision.
She denied that the SABC plans to get rid of Afrikaans.
According to the SABC, the ratings of the Afrikaans TV news bulletin is below what the SABC wants it to be for SABC2.
Viewership of the Afrikaans news is down since its lead-in programme 7de Laan was cancelled and replaced with old reruns of Vetkoekpaleis in the timeslot in December 2023 that saw ratings tank.
In November while 7de Laan as lead-in to the Afrikaans TV news still lured 901 668 viewers to SABC2, while the news had 627 845 viewers, the news bulletin fell to 518 355 viewers in December 2023.
Once reruns of Vetkoekpaleis started with 608 320 viewers on SABC2 - shedding 300 000 viewers in that timeslot, it carried a lot fewer Afrikaans viewers to the news following it.
Other shows like the travelogue Voetspore and the environmental show 50/50 are all moving to SABC3 which is the TV channel with the smallest terrestrial footprint with many South Africans and Afrikaans viewers unable to receive the channel.
Several questions around the language content move were put to the SABC and comment will be added here when received. The SABC was also asked what is happening to SABC3 - repositioned a few years ago as a TV channel for millennial viewers - if Afrikaans is now shunted to this channel.
The SABC had a very similar plan to permanently move the Afrikaans TV news and shows from SABC2 to SABC3 a decade ago in July 2014 but cancelled the plan due to public pressure after news of the move leaked.
In 2014 the SABC said that the broadcaster "has not marginalised any language and will not do that in future. The SABC has an obligation as prescribed by the Broadcasting Act to ensure that all languages are treated equally".
In December 2023, SABC3's maximum viewership, which keeps falling, slid to just 436 548 viewers.
