South Africa's TV and film industry is shocked about the end of the SABC's Paradys telenovela on SABC2.
The telenovela produced by Black Brain Pictures will wrap filming tomorrow, 23 October, with episodes that will play out on-air until February 2027.
TVwithThinus asked the SABC about what the end of Paradys means for the broadcaster's plans, announced earlier this year, to revitalise SABC2's content and programming and to relaunch this TV channel's ratings and ad income.
Mmoni Ngubane, the SABC's head of communications, says "We recognise that the end of a production is hard on the people who work on it, and we do not take that lightly".
"The SABC's contract is with the production house, not with the individual cast, crew or suppliers on the show. Those individuals are contracted by the production house, and how and when they are informed is managed by the production house."
"The SABC informed the
production house of the decision not to renew well ahead of the season ending in February 2027."
"It's important to emphasise that
Paradys is ending as planned, not early. It was commissioned for a full season of 260 episodes, and the production house is being paid for that full season."
"If filming ends on 23 October, that's because that is when production of the contracted season
will be complete."
"No episodes have been cut and no one is being short-changed by the SABC."
Question 1
When the SABC announced Paradys earlier this year at the event, it was together with Pimville and other shows.
The broadcaster said these shows (and others) were part of relaunching SABC2's content drive and to lift ratings, bring viewers back, and increase advertising.
Given that Pimville ended after just a few months, and that Paradys didn't meet the ratings and revenue
the SABC wanted, does it mean the SABC's start of a turnaround of SABC2 failed?
SABC response:
No. The SABC 2 turnaround is a multi-year programme, and it is measured on the channel's overall performance, not on
any single title.
Renewing a schedule means launching new shows, keeping the ones that grow their audience and replacing the ones that do not. That is what is happening here.
Paradys was given a full season and assessed on the same audience and revenue measures as every other programme, and the result guides where SABC 2 invests next.
Pimville ended under different
circumstances, which are dealt with separately.
Question 2
The SABC said that ratings and ad revenue decide whether a show returns.
As a public broadcaster, are all content
in prime time on SABC1 and SABC2 as public channels subject to this or are there content that deserves to be on air and depicts certain people, languages, themes and stories that are shown regardless of whether its commercially viable content or have high or
low viewership?
SABC response:
The mandate decides what we commission. Performance decides which programmes carry it.
As a public broadcaster, the
SABC serves audiences in all official languages and carries news, education, children's content and local stories, much of it scheduled for its public value whether or not it is commercially viable.
That does not change, and Afrikaans drama remains part of
what SABC2 will offer.
What audience and revenue performance decide is whether a particular programme is the right way to deliver that mandate.
The SABC earns most of its revenue from advertising and commercial activity, so a prime-time programme also has to attract an audience. When one does not, we replace it with something that serves the same audience better. We do not step back from that audience.
Question 3
The SABC said that Paradys in its 7pm timeslot got 275 000 viewers per episode and a 0.71% ratings and 2.2% audience
share.
That seems very low for SABC2, and far lower than what 7de Laan, Muvhango, etc got when those shows were on air.
If Paradys couldn't get high enough ratings, does it mean that SABC2 has a viewership problem like SABC3 where there has been an erosion
of ratings over years which can't be stopped?
SABC response:
One programme's ratings do not describe a channel.
Paradys did not connect with enough viewers in its slot, and that reflects on the show, not on SABC2's audience as a whole.
The comparison with
7de Laan and Muvhango also needs context. These shows built their audiences over many years, when viewers had far fewer choices.
Today, audiences split their time across more channels, streaming services and on-demand platforms, including SABC+.
A new show has to win its audience in that environment, and that is the standard we hold it to.
Question 4
The SABC says Paradys will end in February 2027. Will a new programme immediately fill its/this timeslot after it
concludes, or will there be a gap?
After 7de Laan ended, there was a substantial time where there wasn't a new show immediately, which likely led to audience drift, i.e. people who were in the habit of watching 7de Laan, didn't find or watch something new in
that timeslot, fell out of the habit and never returned to SABC2. Is this an issue for the broadcaster?
SABC response:
SABC2 is already planning the programme that will take over the Monday to Friday 19:00 slot, with the aim of following
on directly from Paradys.
Keeping viewers’ routine in that slot unbroken is part of the planning, which is why the work is being done now, four months before the final episode. We will announce the new programme in due course.
Question 5
Hundreds of people, including suppliers and service providers who worked on Pimville have still not been paid. What
is the latest around this SABC production?
SABC response:
The SABC's contract for
Pimville was with the production company, not with the individual cast, crew, suppliers or service providers, who were contracted by the producer.
Under that contract, the SABC paid the production company what was due. Paying the people and suppliers
the production company contracted is that company's responsibility.
We are aware that some have not been paid, and we understand how difficult that is for them. The SABC's agreement with the producer has since come to an end.
