by Thinus Ferreira
The SABC's struggling Muvhango lost close to a quarter million viewers and a further fifth of its SABC2 audience when it resumed in August, and while Bonang Matheba's B'dazzled attempt at a reality TV return on SABC3 was a flop, The Lion King roared for e.tv.
Following the break between season 25 and the delayed start of season 26 of a "new" Muvhango, the Word of Mouth Pictures show shed over 241 000 viewers after it fell from an already low 1.32 million viewers on SABC2 in July to just 1 084 399 viewers at most in August after it returned.
The SABC announced that it signed a new contract with Word of Mouth Pictures and that Muvhango would return on 5 August, but it then didn't and only resumed a week later on 12 August and without the SABC's promised new opening sequence and updated logo.
Only two weeks later on 27 August did Muvhango notch its highest viewership of last month at just over a million viewers - a loss of a further 18% of its viewers and another fifth of its total audience gone.
More concerning is that although SABC2 is publicly available, it has now become the SABC's second of its three TV channels (following SABC3) where its most-watched regular show has fewer viewers than a pay-TV channel like Mzansi Wethu's Sibongile & the Dlaminis.
Bonang Matheba's little publicised reality TV return was a flop for SABC where B'dazzled eeked out a meagre 331 238 viewers at most in August - less than the umpteenth repeat at 12pm of the 1980's American series The A-Team and Knight Rider, and even fewer viewers than repeat episodes of SABC3's Deal or No Deal SA.
The 2024 Miss South Africa pageant on Saturday 10 August at 18:00 - co-incidentally hosted by Bonang Matheba as well, however lifted SABC3 to 1 032 596 viewers.
Although her reality show flopped, Bonang did bring SABC3 for the month very close to SABC2's Muvhango viewership numbers.
Top soaps largely steady
SABC1's Uzalo dropped from 5.63 million viewers in July to 4.93 million - a loss of over 600 000 viewers, although it remains the most watched show on SABC1 and the whole of South African television.
Generations - The Legacy remained in second place and dropped from 4.75 million to 4.42 million viewers in August.
Skeem Saam was slightly up from 4.31 million to 4.37 million viewers in August as South Africa's third most-watched show in South Africa, followed by e.tv's House of Zwide in fourth place which sagged from 4.66 million to 4.15million viewers in August.
Scandal! on e.tv lost further ratings ground from 3.68 million to 3.45 million viewers in August opposite Skeem Saam in the same timeslot.
The Lion King roars for e.tv
The Zulu TV news bulletin on SABC1 held steady with 2.49 million viewers as South Africa's most-watched newscast.
The rugby match between the Springboks and New Zealand on 31 August which SuperSport simulcast on SABC2, led to it being SABC2's most-watched content during last month with 1.38 million viewers.
Morning Live grew from 454 293 to 480 663 viewers in August on SABC2, while the Afrikaans TV news when it was suddenly placed back on SABC2 over weekends, drew 479 914 viewers.
On SABC3 the latest season of MasterChef SA fell to 325 191 viewers at most, and the English TV news bulletin had 681 408 viewers.
On e.tv the English News @ 8 had 1.69 million viewers, Isitha - The Enemy dropped from 3.73 million to 3.36 million viewers, while Isiphetho held steady at 2.68 million viewers.
An umpteenth reshowing of Leon Schuster's Mr Bones netted e.tv a big 2.57 million viewers, while a special reshowing of Disney's The Lion King for its 30th anniversary lured a handsome 2.5 million viewers on 17 August.
On MultiChoice's DStv Sibongile & the Dlaminis had 1.344 million viewers - more viewers than Muvhango on SABC2 although Sibongile & the Dlaminis is on Mzansi Wethu as a pay-TV channel.
Umkhokha The Curse lured 847 169 DStv subscribers, while Isencane Lengane on Moja Love (DStv 157) lured 684 716 viewers in August and X-Repo 602 758.
