TV RATINGS February 2022: The Queen's ratings crown slips as DStv falls below 1 million viewers, SABC2 has a growing ratings problem and e.tv's prime time news shines.

by Thinus Ferreira

During February DStv's linear viewership fell to below 1 million viewers for the first time in six years since July 2016, Mzansi Magic's The Queen shed a third of its audience, SABC2 has a growing ratings problem, while e.tv's flagship English TV news bulletin at 20:00 is steadily becoming appointment television.

South Africa's February TV ratings delivered further evidence of how SABC viewership is eroding and e.tv is growing while analogue transmitters are being switched off in the rush to end the digital migration process.

As South Africa's department of communications and digital technologies and the signal distributor Sentech are on a rushed province-by-province switch-off spree of analogue transmitters, the overall TV ratings of SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 all sagged further in February, while e.tv - keeping its transmitters on - is showing ongoing ratings growth.

On SABC1, Uzalo with 6.67 million viewers (Jan: 6.99) and Generations - The Legacy with 5.26 million viewers (Jan: 5.3) were still the channel and the country's two most-watched shows but were both down from January.

e.tv's Scandal at 4.98 million viewers was that channel's most-watched show in February and South Africa's third most-watched show on television.

e.tv is doing so well in the red letter channel's ratings growth, that House of Zwide with 4.05 million viewers and Imbewu with 3.88 million viewers in February, are now both pulling far more viewers than anything on the entire SABC3 and even SABC2 where that channel's perennial top-performer, Muvhango with 3.3 million viewers in February is far less than the 3.95 million viewers it had in January.

How low SABC3 will go is anybody's guess with the channel's ratings that continue to be in freefall. In February SABC3's best number was again lower, plunging further to just 490 709 viewers at most, again down from January's 652 702 and December's 491 171.

SABC3's troubled telenovela The Estate had at most a measly 296 682 viewers at 19:00 during primetime in February, again down from January's paltry 312 382 that makes a production break or cancellation almost a certainty.

Mister Right finds ratings

On SABC1 Skeem Saam dropped from 3.93 million viewers to 3.82 million viewers in February, while the Zulu news bulletin continued its growth from 2.46 million viewers to 2.6million viewers.   

The Xhosa TV news on SABC1 was also up from 2.3 million viewers to 2.54 million viewers. The Siswati/Ndebele TV news made a showing as the 19thh most-watched piece of programming on SABC1 during February with 1.45 million viewers.

The new reality show, 13 Weeks to Find Mister Right made a great debut on SABC1 with 1.55 million viewers.

SABC2 has a problem

SABC2 has a growing ratings problem under the surface. 

While Muvhango lured over 3 million viewers as the most-watched show on the channel, followed by the 2022 State of the Nation Address (2.5 million viewers), a behind-the-scenes insert of new show Ou Toppies (1.4 million viewers), the 2022 Budget Speech (1.28 million viewers) and Giyani (1.12 million viewers), only these five pieces of programming managed to lure more than a million viewers during February to SABC2.

The rest of the SABC2's top 20 schedule is languishing between 824 566 and a shockingly low 440 633 viewers. 

Just a few years ago, even the now-struggling SABC3 had more viewers and higher ratings for its top shows than what SABC2 has now if the veneer of top shows are scraped away.

People will watch news at 8

While TV news isn't about ratings but a public service, decent and strong ratings helps and e.tv has a lot to smile about with its flagship English TV news bulletin berthed in the 20:00-timeslot where the SABC years ago said viewers no longer want to watch news. 

It turns out they do.

The strong and stable e.tv News bulletin at 20:00 solidified its position as appointment television further in February, climbing further from 1.7 to 1.99 million viewers in February. That is just a tad fewer viewers than e.tv's Durban Gen prime time soap which grabbed 2.16 million viewers during February.

In contrast, the English TV news on SABC3 at 18:00 - the broadcaster's flagship TV news bulletin - lured just 409 579 viewers.

The Queen comes down

On pay-TV, MultiChoice's linear DStv audience slipped below 1 million viewers for the first time since mid-2016 with 942 293 DStv subscribers that tuned to Gomora on M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) in February as the most-watched show on DStv for the month, down from the 1.16 million who watched in January.

The Queen, from Ferguson Films also on Mzansi Magic, which officially got its cancellation notification, shed an eye-popping third (-30.9%) of its audience in just a month, plummeting from 1 096 713 viewers in January to 757 333 in February.

A Big Brother Mzansi highlights show on Mzansi Magic, putting it in 10th place for the month, eked out a disappointing 487 770 viewers on 13 February, the most viewers the reality show managed to muster.

The River (733 559 to 560 428), Diep City (698 085 to 637694), Mnakwethu (909 194 to 457 619), The Republic (768 592 to 531 246) and Our Perfect Wedding (798 792 to 511 282) all took a tumble during February on DStv.

Umndeni on Moja Love (DStv 157) was also down from 603 097 to 482 880 viewers in February.

The Queen from Ferguson Films on Mzansi Magic cancelled after shortened 7th season, Lingashoni to end with a second season on 1Magic as Mzansi Magic also shifts focus to limited series with higher production values.

by Thinus Ferreira

The Queen from Ferguson Films on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) and Lingashoni from Stained Glass TV on 1Magic (DStv 103) have both been cancelled, M-Net confirmed on Friday.

The Queen from Ferguson Films has been renewed for a 7th and final, shortened season of 125 instead of the usual 250 full season order. The Queen will be replaced by a new local South African telenovela.

The 7th and final shortened season of The Queen will start in July 2022 on Mzansi Magic and broadcast its final episode on 13 January 2023.

Lingashoni from Stained Glass TV, that starts for a second season on 21 March has also been cancelled. Lingashoni will start its second season broadcast on 21 March 2022 and end its second season with a series finale that will be broadcast on 13 January 2023.

The Queen made its debut on Mansi Magic in August 2016 and reached 1 000 episodes by AUgust 2020 including a crossover episode with the 1Magic telenovela The River – a first for M-Net local productions and linking the two shows to exist within the same universe.

Lingashoni as the second telenovela for 1Magic made its debut in March 2021.

Similar to M-Net's kykNET division, Mzansi Magic is changing to stabilising the channel's content slate going forward and focusing on more limited series and reality series with bigger budgets and higher production values.

MultiChoice and M-Net are revising the channel strategies of Mzansi Magic and 1Magic "to keep abreast with changing audience preferences and the evolving competitor landscape".

Mzansi Magic says "The success of our local strategy depends on how well we adapt to what our viewers desire to see on screen".

"Telenovelas have been the crux of our weekday viewership and continue to be so on Mzansi Magic. A new telenovela will be introduced into the weekday 21:00-slot, replacing The Queen from January 2023."

"New content is still under development and will be announced in due course."

"While 1Magic is not traditionally known as the home of telenovelas, it houses one of our leading telenovelas, The River - a multi award-winning production that is popular with viewers. It has just been renewed for a 5th season. Our replacement for Lingashoni will be announced soon."

Shirley Adonisi, M-Net director of local entertainment channels, says "As the M-Net local entertainment channels, we would like to applaud the producers, cast and crew of The Queen and Lingashoni for their dedication to delivering riveting storylines and award-winning content in highly contested primetime slots".

"We maintain long-standing and positive relationships with Ferguson Films and Stained Glass TV, with both production houses having created other shows for our channels." 

"In the case of Ferguson Films they have given us hit shows including Rockville, Igazi, The Imposter and Unmarried; while Stained Glass TV is the studio behind our shows Ifalakhe, eHostela and the massively popular The Wife."  

"Our strategy is still focused on growing our local content offering. It is what drives our growth and our viewership figures and we are committed to giving our discerning audiences content that they can relate to and see themselves in".

'We look forward to the thrills of the next 12 months as both productions draw towards their respective finales."

M-Net fires actor Sthembiso 'SK' Khoza from The Queen on Mzansi Magic following assault allegations.

by Thinus Ferreira

I'm told that M-Net has fired actor Sthembiso "SK" Khoza from the drama series The Queen on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) following allegations of assault.

Ferguson Films that produces The Queen was told to get rid of Sthembiso "SK" Khoza who will no longer be appearing on the drama series done for one of M-Net's channels on MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform.

Nomsa Philiso, M-Net channel director for local entertainment channels, in a statement says that "Mzansi Magic confirms that we have been informed by Ferguson Films that Stembiso "SK" Khoza will no longer form part of the cast on The Queen".

There's been no statement from Sthembiso "SK" Khoza who portrayed the character of Shaka in the series

Earlier this year the Sasol garage cashier Sifiso Ngcobo reported Sthembiso "SK" Khoza to the South African police that started an investigation after the actor allegedly physically assaulted her and his sister Nonkululeko Khoza allegedly hit her in the face with a barcode scanner following a fight over the packaging of flowers that was on sale at the garage.

Sthembiso "SK" Khoza had also allegedly assaulted his ex-fiancée Ayanda "Mandy" Hlongwane.

Earlier this year he was also involved in a sex party scandal with a video of him and three naked women that circulated on social media.

Sthembiso "SK" Khoza abruptly left The Queen in 2019 after he was fired from the series because of how his personal problems and scandals negatively impacted the Ferguson Films production, but he was hired back in 2020. His character hasn't been seen on-screen for a while and the actor has now been axed again.

Coronavirus: The River and South African television's well of stockpiled new episodes of the most-watched prime time soaps will start to run out from Friday 24 April.

by Thinus Ferreira

The well of stockpiled television episodes of South Africa's most-watched prime time soaps will start to run dry from Friday.

Both public and pay-TV channels will begin to run out of available new episodes for the highest-rated shows in the country over the next couple of days and weeks because of the ongoing Covid-19 coronavirus national lockdown. 

With the national shutdown in effect in South Africa that has been extended by further weeks to try and curb the spread of Covid-19, the broadcaster pantry will start to run dry from tomorrow.

That will be followed over the next few days and weeks by a cascading effect of programming changes across channels as broadcasters and pay-TV services from MultiChoice to the SABC are forced to pad their schedules with different content as new pre-recorded, locally-produced shows run out of episodes.

With the country marking record TV ratings gains during day time and prime time for South African television as families - including parents and kids - remain cloistered at home, it remains to be seen whether the massive viewership surge will hold once broadcasters are forced to schedule repeats and content viewers have already seen.

On Friday 24 April the M-Net-run channel Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) will broadcast the last new episodes of Isibaya, produced by The Bomb Shelter and the new telenovela Gomora produced by Seriti TV that have both now run out of stockpiled episodes. 

M-Net schedulers are replacing these two hours on Mzansi Magic with double episodes at 19:00 of the first season of The River, produced by Tshedza Pictures, from Monday 27 April.

Both are two of the most-watched shows on pay-TV with Gomora that lured up to 1.7 million viewers in March and Isibaya 1.003 million viewers, together with The Queen from Ferguson Films that also shut down in March that was the most-watched show on DStv last month with 2.2 million viewers.

The Queen will screen the last episode of the current season at the end of the second week of May.

While first season episodes of The River is now shown on Mzansi Magic, the telenovela that is actually in its third season with first-run episodes on the other M-Net channel, 1Magic (DStv 103), is also running out of episodes. 

The River that lured 1.165 million pay-TV subscribers in March to DStv will end on 8 May, replaced by Is'thunzi, produced by Rapid Blue.

The River has also been on a hiatus and production break because of the Covid-19 lockdown with no fourth season that has been confirmed says M-Net.

The Somizi & Mohale: The Union wedding reality limited series, produced by The BarLeader, that was exclusively produced for MultiChoice's streaming service Showmax will now pad the linear TV schedule and unspool on Mzansi Magic from 27 April at 20:00.

Similar to what international broadcasters are now doing, the M-Net programming team is also working to pad the Mzansi Magic schedule with repeat blocks of popular reality shows like Date My Family and Our Perfect Wedding, both produced by Connect TV. Both series about family dates and reality weddings continue to draw huge audiences.

On 1 May the Real Housewives of Johannesburg, produced by RHOSA Productions, will start on Mzansi Magic for 14 episodes until 20 May with season 1 of Madam & Mercy taking over after that. 

"As M-Net local entertainment channels, we pride ourselves on our authentic local content and this lockdown period provides us with the perfect opportunity to share this. Viewers now have time to catch up on their favourite shows and we are excited to keep them entertained with a double dose of a drama series that has received recognition on the global stage," says Nomsa Philiso, director of M-Net local entertainment channels.

"M-Net continues to enjoy healthy relations with our content suppliers and we are all working together to ensure that our customers don't miss out on a single moment of excellent entertainment, even when production has to take a break."

"With these changes to our line-up and a host of award-winning shows, viewers can still enjoy a riveting line-up of great entertainment to make staying at home more bearable." 

SA's most-watched show out of new episodes on 8 May

On South Africa's public broadcaster, the country's most-watched prime time series, Uzalo on weekdays at 20:30 that lured over 10.29 million viewers in March will broadcast it's last new episode two weeks from now on 8 May on SABC1.

From 11 May the SABC will have to switch to repeats of old Uzalo episodes for at least a week.

The Durban-based production company Stained Glass TV remains shuttered along with others and can only resume production once the national lockdown is lifted.

"The lockdown has put production under immense 'post lockdown' pressure,' Stained Glass TV tells TViwithThinus in response to a media enquiry. 

"Pre-recorded episodes will be on-air up until 8 May, thereafter viewers should expect episode reruns while the production works determinedly to deliver more episodes per week and catch up with our delivery schedule."

"Viewers can anticipate new and exciting episodes from Monday 18 May," says the show.

This is all however contingent on production companies being allowed to open the studio doors after 30 April if the national lockdown is lifted and lifted and in heavily-affected provinces like Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape.

On e.tv the free-to-air commercial broadcaster still has enough stockpiled episodes of both of its local weekday soaps - Rhythm City, produced by Quizzical Pictures and Scandal! produced by Ochre Moving Pictures - as well as telenovela Imbewu done from KwaZulu-Natal by Grapevine Productions for now to stave off repeat broadcasts during prime time.

SABC2's 7de Laan, produced by Danie Odendaal Productions, currently has enough new half-hours stockpiled to last until 25 May.

Mmoni Seapolelo, SABC spokesperson, told TVwithThinus in response to a media enquiry that the public broadcaster has a sufficient TV soap content, will communicate when soaps run out of episodes and switch to repeats, and is in contact with production companies.

"The organisation has a sufficient soapie content offering to cover the duration of the lockdown period. The organisation has also ensured that, as part of its efforts to build resilience in its broadcasting environment, there are measures in place to ensure business continuity during this period and in the event of further extensions."

"Should future repeats of popular soaps be required, this will be communicated to the public."

"The SABC remains committed to continue to provide an essential service of broadcasting to the millions of South Africans, who rely solely on the corporation for information, education and entertainment."

TV RATINGS. The coronavirus lockdown in South Africa leads to a record TV ratings surge in March 2020.

by Thinus Ferreira

South Africa's national shutdown period in South Africa to try and curb the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus has given rise to record TV ratings in the country with a massive surge of millions of viewers tuning in for both news and entertainment content.

The massive increase of up to 100% in certain daytime slots and a huge swell in primetime audiences for broadcasters across the board are fuelled by a confluence of several factors that are pushing viewership to astounding TV ratings levels - including stunning co-viewing audience demographics - rarely seen in South Africa.

Overlapping moves have each created their own TV spring tide in March and April. All of these factors together are causing a King tide TV ratings bonanza for South African broadcasters and advertisers on TV.

Firstly, millions of different, constantly shifting blocks of TV households that virtually disappeared from the ratings system across the country during ongoing rolling TV blackouts when TV sets went dead all came back online during March when Eskom suddenly halted loadshedding.

Secondly, South Africa's national shutdown period of 21-days announced by president Cyril Ramaphosa is seeing families - adults and children - bored and looking for news, information and entertainment, all cloistered at home and watching not just a lot more TV but watching television together.

Interestingly, the first term school holiday, combined with the national shutdown, are seeing millions of families shut-in at home but crucially important, not roaming about in out-of-home vacation: They're home where their auto-detect TV meters are installed and not in holiday homes or hotels that usually take them off the ratings grid, like during December holidays when viewership traditionally ebbs.

Thirdly, pay-TV services like MultiChoice have opened access to more TV channels and more TV channels on DStv to lower-tiered subscribers, making popular channels like the M-Net-packaged Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) and SuperSport 1 (DStv 201) temporarily available to a much larger potential audience. 

One unintended longterm TV impact of the national shutdown period will be the millions of South Africa viewers who are exposed to new content, who sample new shows and new channels, and in the content discovery process form new TV habits that they likely won't break as they continue to watch new soaps, series and other shows that they'll likely follow even after they're no longer cooped up at home.

MultiChoice has seen daytime audiences grow by up to 100%.

Meanwhile ratings are up for the commercial free-to-air channel e.tv, and even the TV channels of the struggling South African public broadcaster like SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 with all three seeing bump ups of literally millions of viewers for shows like TV news bulletins.

South Africa's and the SABC's most-watched TV show, Uzalo on SABC1 once again surged over the 10 million viewership mark in March with 10.2 million viewers (28.59 AR / 64.8 share), a surge of almost a million viewers from February's 9.3 million high-mark.

While runner-up Generations was slightly up from 8.027 million viewers to 8.2 million, Skeem Saam showed a massive increase from 5.9 million to a whopping 7.25 million viewers ( 20.16 AR / 53.6 share) in March.

The Xhosa TV news bulletin on SABC1 - still the most-watched TV news bulletin in South Africa - jumped an absolutely staggering 1.2 million viewers in just one month in March from 4.1 million viewers to 5.39 million viewers (15 AR).

Incredibly, the Zulu TV news bulletin (SABC1) showed an even bigger ratings surge from an even smaller number: up an astounding 1.34 million viewers from February's 3.94 million viewers to 5.28 million in March.

On SABC2 the Venda weekday primetime soap Muvhango surged from 4.6 million to 5.04 million viewers in March remaining as the channel's most-watched show, while the Afrikaans weekday soap 7de Laan climbed from 1.7 million to 2 million viewers.

Astoundingly, president Cyril Ramaphosa Covid-19 lockdown announcement about Covid-19 on 23 March on SABC2 pulled an incredible, never-before-seen record-rating of 2.89 million viewers for a Monday night - a bigger audience than the 2.75 million viewers who watched president Cyril Ramaphosa's 2020 State of the Nation address on the same channel on 13 February.

Meanwhile, president Cyril Ramaphosa's first Covid-19 speech on 15 March also lured 1.4 million South Africans to tune in, while SABC2's Tswana TV news bulletin likewise gained and showed a massive increase in viewers as it surged from 1 million to 1.75 million in March. The Afrikaans TV news bulletin climbed from 1.38 million to 1.6 million.

While the struggling SABC3 usually tops out at just under 900 000 viewers for its most-watched programme (Isidingo's series finale provided no ratings bump), this past Sunday night's scheduling of the 2011 Steven Soderberg film, Contagion, led to a shocking blockbuster ratings blow-out for the channel on 5 April.

Contagion lured a whopping 4.3 million viewers (12.1 AR). To put it in perspective: The channel hardly ever manages to get anything over a 2.4 audience rating (AR) at best.

With a 42.9 share for Contagion it means that almost one in every two TV sets that were turned on in South Africa on Sunday night, were tuned to SABC3 as word-of-mouth spread about the fictional coronavirus pandemic movie on social media and viewers made it a second screen co-viewing TV event.

On e.tv Rhythm City lifted from 3.4 million to 3.8 million viewers as the channel's third most-watched programme, with Imbewu climbing from 3.5 million to 4.14 million and Scandal! retaining its crown as the most-watched show on the channel upping its rating from 4.8 million to 5.17 million (14.36 AR / 34 share). The tune-in to e.tv News is also up, now at 1.8 million viewers. 

On pay-TV where ratings matter less than subscriber numbers M-Net and MultiChoice bosses must be smiling broadly anyway: The new series Gomora drew an astounding 1.092 million viewers to Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) for its debut episode on 30 March. It then grew to 1.7 million viewers on the next night, instantly becoming the channel's new third most-watched show.

Viewership of Mzansi Magic and The Queen as its most-watched show has likewise surged.

The Queen now commands 2.28 million viewers, up from 1.2 million - an addition of over a million viewers in just a month. Second-most watched show Our Perfect Wedding also doubled its audience from 904 223 viewers in February to an incredible 1.833 million viewers in March.

The tabloid cheaters show Uyajola 9/9 on Moja Love (DStv 157) continues to draw crowds gaining slightly in March and going from 619 130 to 636 867 viewers.

eNCA (DStv 403) remained the most-watched TV news channel in South Africa with the South Africa Tonight broadcast with Uveka Rangappa on the night of the national lockdown announcement on 23 March that pulled a massive 912 336 viewers - the biggest audience during March for any local or international TV news channel available in the country.

Rami Chuene exits Ferguson Films' troubled The Queen on Mzansi Magic, says 'I won't be getting into details as advised by my legal team'.

by Thinus Ferreira

Actress Ramu Chuene is exiting Ferguson Films' The Queen on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) as the latest on-screen talent to leave the apparently troubled drama series, following alleged behind-the-scenes rancour with the producers.

On social media, the actress, known for her role as Gracious Mabuza, said that her stint on The Queen has come to an end.

"Unfortunately, I won't be getting into details as advised by my legal team. I still have to finish shooting and I'm hoping to execute as excellently, exceptionally and professionally as I always have."

There's been no public comment from Ferguson Films.

Rami Chuene joins 4 other actors who have been axed and left The Queen over the course of the last year, including Stembiso Khoza, Khanya Mkangisa, Khayakazi Kula and Moshe Ndiki, while veteran actress Vatiswa Ndara was involved in an acrimonious exit from iGazi, that was also produced by Ferguson Films.

According to reports there had allegedly been a breakdown in the relationship between Rami Chuene and the Ferguson producer-couple Connie and Shona after the actress showed support for actress Vatiswa Ndara who wrote an open letter to the minister of arts and culture.

Growing number of shows snub the Saftas as producers' unhappiness with the industry's South African TV and film awards grows.

In an ongoing industry boycott a growing number of South African shows are snubbing the Saftas with producers who again decided not to enter the 13th South African Film and Television Awards set for 2 March, with their creators and crews who won't attend and their stars who won't walk the red carpet.

The conspicuous absence of a string of shows from the badly-organised and shoddily-produced Saftas continues to make the award show, organised by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), look flawed, with the winners not deemed truly legitimate and reflective of the totality of the local TV industry's body of work.

Several of the most-watched weekday shows and dramas across channels on South African television don't want to be part of 2019's 13th Saftas, despite luring millions of viewers daily and collectively employing hundreds of people in the local TV industry.

Not entering the 2019 Saftas are Generations on SABC1, Muvhango on SABC2 and 7de Laan on SABC2.

Also missing-in-action are all of the shows from Ferguson Films like The Queen and The Throne on M-Net's Mzansi Magic (DStv 161), including the eligible first season of The Imposter. M-Net's Arendsvlei on kykNET & Kie (DStv 145) is also missing.

Previously the producers of several production companies have had concerns around the Saftas secrecy and lack of transparency and inclusivity, the process and judging process, other issues that they said are not being addressed and getting resolved, and even called the Saftas "not fair".

Deliberately gone again from the Saftas is Generations - The Legacy, produced by Mfundi Vundla's Morula Pictures, for the second consecutive time. Generations is SABC1's and South Africa's second most-watched show and soap, pulling 7.9 million viewers. Generations' publicist didn't respond to a media enquiry seeking comment about its decision not to enter the Saftas.

Also deliberately gone again is Muvhango, SABC2's Venda soap produced by Duma Ndlovu's Word of Mouth productions for the fourth consecutive time and fifth time overall. Muvhango is SABC2's most-watched show and soap, pulling 6.1 million viewers. Muvhango's publicist didn't respond to a media enquiry seeking comment about its decision not to enter the Saftas.

Also deliberately absent again is 7de Laan, SABC2's Afrikaans language soap with 2.2 million viewers produced by Danie Odendaal Productions, for the third time in the history of the Saftas after it won as Best Soap in 2009, 2010 and 2011. In response to a media enquiry, 7de Laan said "we will not comment at this stage on our reasons for not entering the upcoming Safta awards".

Meanwhile, all of the popular shows produced under power-producer couple Connie and Shona Ferguson's Ferguson Films banner like The Queen, The Imposter first season (second season now produced by Seriti Films), and The Throne are nowhere to be seen at this year's Saftas. Shona didn't respond to a media enquiry seeking comment about the decision not to enter the awards show.

The telenovela The Queen is the most watched show on all of MultiChoice's DStv pay-TV platform with 1.5 million viewers, while The Throne lured 697 000 viewers in December 2018. The Imposter grabbed just over 1 million viewers during its first season run.

Not part of this year's Saftas without a reason given is kykNET's Afrikaans language telenovela, Arendsvlei although it's eligible. kykNET was asked why but didn't provide an answer although Arendsvlei's Saftas no-show is likely more due to an oversight from the producers than a deliberate snub.

Since the NFVF forces the producers of soaps and telenovelas to enter in other categories if they want to be listed in the overall Most Popular Soap/Telenovela category, these shows - although legitimately forming a huge part of the local genre - have once again been blocked from the Saftas category and can't be voted for.

It means that viewers - actively solicited to vote for the Saftas' Most Popular Soap/Telenovela - can't vote for what might really be most popular or a viewer's most liked show for instance Generations, Muvhango, 7de Laan, The Queen or The Throne, and again will mean a hollow victory for whatever soap is announced the winner.

Neo Moretlwe, NFVF communications coordinator, didn't respond to media enquiries made since Friday seeking comment on the growing number of producers snubbing the awards and other issues after the Saftas organisers announced the 2019 nominees.

The Saftas that will take place and be broadcast on 2 March on SABC2 at 19:00 and produced by Clive Morris Productions this year, is once again taking place at Sun City but in a new change is dropping the 2-night spectacle - completely doing away with the previously separate, technical awards evening that was a separate awards ceremony that wasn't televised.

The Saftas at Sun City has been criticised as an out-of-touch and not representative money-wasting soiree for film body elites, sponsors and TV executives to clink glasses in luxury while making the ceremony inaccessible to a lot of media, nominees, even its own lifetime achievement award winners not invited, with people having to drive back to Johannesburg and elsewhere late at night.

As in previous years, the Saftas organisers and judges once again also made some perplexing and head-scratching choices regarding nominees in categories for the 13th Saftas.

Some include VIA and Showmax's JAN, a fly-on-the-wall lifestyle documentary series following the life of South Africa's first Michelin-star Jan-Hendrik van der Westhuizen in Nice that is a very worthy nominee but snagged a nomination in the Best variety show category.

Meanwhile a reality competition show like Die Kontrak is a nominee as Best music show instead of Best reality show, while Starlight Classics 2017 on M-Net is a nominee under Best variety show although it belongs in the Best music show category.

Thembsie Matu is The Queen of the 2018 DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards.

Thembsie Matu was The Queen of the 2018 DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards on Saturday night at Mzansi Magic's (DStv 161) second annual awards show that took place as a live broadcast from the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg with a beautiful black lacquered stage.

Bonang Matheba with multiple outfit changes including sparkling gowns and figure-hugging dresses was the host of the 2018 DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards for the second time, with 13 awards handed out during the live broadcast of two hours of which she won Favourite Personality of the Year.

The Queen actress Thembsie Matu portraying the mouthy housekeeper Patronella won the night's big award, the Ultimate Viewers' Choice award, while Rebecca Malope who also performed during the night, was bestowed the Legend Award.

The 2018 DStv Mzansi Viewers' Choice Awards included music performances by Kwesta, Sjava, Bucie, Sun-El Musician, Mlindo, Sho Madjozi, Dumi Mkokstad, Ntokozo Mbambo and Khaya Mthethwa, Mafikizolo with vocalist Nhlanhla Nciza, DJ Maphorisa with Moonchild and Zulu Mkhathini, among many others.

The Life Changer Award went to the mechanic Moss Lehlokoa teaching young people panel beating in Diepsloot.


Here are the complete list of winners:

Favourite Song of the Year
Prince Kaybee & LaSoulmates with Zanda Zakuza & TNS – Club Controller

Favourite TV Presenter

Pearl Modiadie

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Distruction Boyz

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Warren Masemola

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Rebecca Malope

Actress Mara Louw lashes out a producers Ferguson Films for allegedly treating her like trash, after The Queen on Mzansi Magic decided to move her to an on-call contract.

Mara Louw has caused a stir after the veteran actress lashed out in the Sunday tabloid press at Ferguson Films of Shona and Connie Ferguson after the producers told her that her character of Boi was being written out of The Queen on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161).

By attacking a producer and production company publicly that gave her work, Mara Louw is likely lessening her prospects of being hired by other producers, out of fear that they might possibly be shamed in public by the actress when contracts change.

In September 2017 Mara Louw was given three months' notice that the story arc of her character Boitshwarelo "Boi" Maake in The Queen is coming to an end and that she would be moved from "permanent" to an on-call on-air talent on the show.

Ferguson Films told Mara Louw that "it is necessary to exit the character of Boi from The Queen and bring her back on a call-basis as and when the story arcs require".

On Sunday The Sunday Sun tabloid front page blared Mara Louw slamming Mzansi Magic's The Queen and the producers saying "I was treated like trash".

Ferguson Films says Mara Louw as a hired actress declined to move to the on-call contract.

Mara Louw told The Sunday Sun that "I declined to take their offer because they treated me like trash. I was on a global contract for a year, which was supposed to expire in May. Those people decided to come to me in September to tell me they had terminated my contract because the producers of the show had run out of ideas for my story line."

"With my experience in the showbiz industry and age, you can't treat me like a nobody."

The Queen telenovela extended to 5 days per week as Mzansi Magic adds a Friday episode; Rami Chuene, Thato Molamu joining the cast.

Its proven to be true South African television royalty and from August Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) is extending its telenovela The Queen from 4 to 5 days a week, adding Fridays on the back of boffo ratings.

With the additional weekday episode the cast is expanding with Rami Chuene joining in the role of Gracious, and with Thato Molamu added in the role of up-and-coming lawyer, Bakang.

The Queen - a fascinating local telenovela produced for one of the M-Net's channels provided to MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform - remains a hugely under-reported success story in South Africa's television industry, although it typifies everything that the new generation of South African television production can and should be.

The Queen - with its most watched episode in June that pulled 955 891 viewers to Mzansi Magic in its 21:00 timeslot - is the little TV locomotive that could, produced by the wife and husband team Connie and Shona Ferguson and their Ferguson Films outfit.

The Queen made its debut on Mzansi Magic at the beginning of August 2016 and the past few months production and production capacity has been ramped up to adjust for the additional weekday episode that will see the telenovela enlarge to 5 days per week from 31 July 2017.

The Queen is not just a South African TV rarity because it's done by black producers, who are married to each other, and with one of them also having a starring on-screen role (Connie plays Harriet).

It is also that the show, revolving around the fictional Khoza family, also continues to receive both critical and widespread popular acclaim. 

Usually what the TV critics like, viewers don't - and vice versa - yet The Queen has proven to be the rare TV gem everybody likes to watch.

"The Queen has become one of Mzansi Magic's most popular shows," says Reneilwe Sema, M-Net's director of local channels.

"As it stands, it broadcasts from Monday to Thursday, but its immense acclaim demands that we make it a full five-day a week show. Viewers just can't get enough of the twists and turns in the story, so we are giving them more."

The Queen has added seasoned actress Rami Chuene to the cast in the role of Gracious, with Thato Molamu added in the role of up-and-coming lawyer, Bakang. Magic Hlatshwayo returns as Kwanele's supportive dad, Alpheus.

Meanwhile viewers can't get enough of the flamboyant character Kgosi (played by Sello Maake ka-Ncube) who has created a new iconic South African TV character for the ages.


A Queen building out the TV biz
While shows like The Queen - and the process of how it is now being produced - is actually what the struggling South African public broadcaster should be doing, investing in, and nurturing in terms of exposing and training new talent in front of and behind-the-scenes - it is M-Net's Mzansi Magic that took the risk.

Being bold and spearheading the effort on this "new type" TV drama making, it is now Mzansi Magic that is getting the rewards with a show like The Queen that is produced on a much smaller budget than a mega-show like the KwaMashu set Uzalo of SABC1.

While drawing sizeable audiences to Mzansi Magic - which is what ultimately matters to the bottom-line - The Queen is also working and building out South Africa's TV-industry with novel re-invention. 

The popular show is both enlarging and upskilling the local TV production industry, while at the same time training and giving new people a change to learn and get experience as they go along for the ride.

It is something that the SABC is actually supposed to be doing - like the BBC - but is something that has steadily shifted to South Africa's pay-TV sector that doesn't need to, but that has picked up a large part of the responsibility with The Queen as a great example.

The Queen also does a lot of on-location shooting - for instance filming at rented homes multi-purposed as the set instead of paying for costly studio space - and using rooms, doors and exteriors of one property for instance to cleverly create numerous in-story locations.

The telenovela also gives a lot of young, and new, people opportunities in front of, and behind, the camera to learn and get a foot in the door of the TV biz - again something more in line with the remit of a public broadcaster but something that is clearly an important and integral part of making the show for The Queen's producers.

Black TV producer Shona Ferguson slams South Africa's TV industry; says 'you are disrespected'; 'white producers are never disrespected by black folks'.

The successful black TV producer Shona Ferguson has slammed South Africa's TV and film industry, saying black producers are "disrespected and ill-treated for doing good" and that "white producers are never disrespected by black folks".

It's not clear what prompted the actor-producer's statement on Friday evening on social media.

Shona Ferguson's public lashing over the perceived disrespect that black TV producers endure, however comes exactly a day after all of the highly rated productions from Ferguson Films were completely snubbed by the 11th South African Film and Television Awards (Saftas) that's set to take place in March at Sun City.

The 2017 Saftas is once again being embroiled in a boycott by South African TV producers who slammed the awards show organised by the National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) for its apparent lack of transparency and problems with the judging process.

In addition, a very glaring snub is Ferguson Films whose top shows like The Queen, Rockville and Igazi on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) were all shut out.

While The Queen, Rockville and Igazi as premium locally produced programming draw huge ratings for MultiChoice's DStv satellite pay-TV platform on the M-Net packaged channel - meaning they are shows that viewers love and watch in droves - none of these series, its crews or casts are included for any recognition this year in any of the nominee categories at the 2017 Saftas. 

In a series of tweets on Friday evening, with no indication as to why he's saying so, Shona Ferguson who co-own Ferguson Films with his actress-producer wife Connie Ferguson, highlighted race issues in South Africa's TV and film industry and perceived ill-treatment.

"Don't focus on the flash and think it's been an easy ride. In fact it gets harder every day. Being a black producer is not easy," said Shona Ferguson.

"You are disrespected and ill-treated for doing good, creating jobs and giving people opportunities to do what they love and earn a living.

"You work hard to contribute to the industry and grow it, but it's the very people that you give these opportunities to that spit in your face. White producers are never disrespected by black folks. It's sad that it's our brothers and sisters who wish you ill because you are doing well."

"It's about the work. Connie and I, through Ferguson Films, have been delivering A+, because we work hard. We love and appreciate what we do."

"We are very grateful. We are not asking for special treatment. All I ask is you give us the same respect you give the white producers."

"This is a very small industry. Be careful how you treat people and how you behave. When you are out of work tomorrow, just know it's all on you," said Shona Ferguson, adding that "I just want to make great TV and films".

Connie Ferguson is the queen in Mzansi Magic's new telenovela, The Queen, produced by Ferguson Films, that will 'strip bare the rich's insatiable lust for power''.

Connie Ferguson is proving why she's the queen of South African television; the soap star turned TV producer will appear next in her second role and producer credit in Mzansi Magic's The Queen from August.

The Queen, a new telenovela from Ferguson Films starting on 1 August on Mzansi Magic (DStv 161) at 21:00 has Connie Ferguson in the lead role as the high-powered executive Harriet Khoza, together with stars like Senzo Ngqobe, Loyiso McDonald, Mbali Nkosi, SK Khoza, Themba Ndaba, Natasha Thahane.

The Queen also sees Connie Ferguson and Sello Maake Ka-Ncube reunite on-screen who thrilled viewers for years as the sister-brother pair Karabo and Archie Moroka in SABC1's Generations while Sophie Ndaba was Queen Moroka.

Now it's Connie Ferguson's turn to play the queen after producing and starring in seasons of her and husband Shona Ferguson's Rockville.

It is in fact the additional Mzansi Magic commissioning and workload of The Queen that saw Connie Ferguson dump Generations earlier this year where she took up her old role of Karabo again for two years after the SABC and Mfundi Vundla fired the principal cast.

In The Queen, Connie Ferguson will be seen as a successful business woman whose husband is hiding a big secret.

When his secret is revealed, it forces the character of Harriet - a dedicated wife and mother -  to "do the unthinkable" in this new telenovela that will "strip bare the insatiable lust for power among the rich and the victims who find themselves at their mercy".

Besides producing Rockville and The Queen for Mzansi Magic, Ferguson Films is also responsible for the channel's viewership hit Igazi.