SABC1’s Uzalo sets a new South African TV ratings high-water mark of 10.2 million viewers.

SABC1's and South Africa's most watched TV show, Uzalo has set a new viewership high-water mark with the second episode of its recent two-parter wedding storyline that reached 10.2 million viewers - a new record-high for South African television.

Uzalo set in KwaMashu in KwaZulu/Natal and produced by Stained Glass Pictures, has been South Africa's most watched TV show and the number one show on SABC1.

Uzalo however improved on its own record on 25 September by reaching a combined 10 251 231 viewers (29.3 AR / 74 share) for the wedding drama when the scorned, gun-wielding MaNgcobo (Dawn Thandeka King) showed up in a wedding dress at the wedding of her common-law husband Nkunzi (Masoja Msiza) and love rival MaMlambo (Gugu Gumede). 

The previous South African viewing record was on 11 June 2010 for the opening match between South Africa and Mexico of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa that reached 10 146 793 viewers but that comes with an asterisk - the figure is of the combined audience who watched it on SABC1 and SuperSport 3 on MultiChoice's DStv.

While Uzalo is luring viewers to SABC1 as the SABC's biggest show, it is ironically one of the shows the SABC struggles to pay, with Stained Glass Pictures that shut down production on Uzalo for a week early last month, and with the production company that was also asked to take over the responsibility of looking after the imploded Uselwa, that also filmed on location in Eshowe in KZN and ran out of money.

Meanwhile e.tv's weekday soap Scandal! managed to reach 6 million viewers for the first time in August this year, reaching 6 021 421 viewers for its episode on 15 August, but falling back to around 5.5 million during September.

Mmamitse Thibedi, Uzalo executive producer says "words cannot explain how thrilled and grateful we are to hit this milestone".

"The entire team pulled out the stops to give memorable, enthralling story lines, and audiences responded by keeping their screens locked onto Uzalo. The writers, cast and entire production team delivered over and beyond, and we are all committed to continuing on this upward trend."

Fabian Rainers, SABC1 commissioning editor, says "Uzalo's magic lies in it's ability to consistently portray story lines that resonate with society and deliver authentic, credible story lines".

"These record viewership figures are testament to the fact that the drama is connecting with audiences in a meaningful way, and making a real impact. We're excited that the show has reached this milestone and than the audience for affirming the work so kindly."

Although struggling to pay producers, the embattled SABC in a statement says it is "delighted with the performance of one of its flagship television programmes, Uzalo".

Nomsa Philiso, the SABC's group executive for television, in a statement says "the partnership with Stained Glass Productions is one that keeps exceeding all expectations. We are confident that the programme is in line with our strategy of growing audiences, and meeting the needs and expectations of the South African public".

Nomvula Mokonyane, South Africa's current minister of communications, in a statement says she congratulates "the producers, actors and actresses and crew of Uzalo, on the soapie becoming the first television show in South Africa to clock the 10 million viewers mark in South African television history".

"Congratulations to Uzalo for setting the bar high by clocking a never-been-done-before 10 million viewers mark in South African television history. A baby in the industry at just three years of existence, the soapie achieved what its peers with decades on television are yet to achieve. They came, they saw, and they conquered. The bar is set," says Nomvula Mokonyane.

"This is the first time a project spearheaded by a young, black and female producer has hit such a milestone in South African television history. This is proof that where there is hard work and dedication, there is success. This should be an example to other aspiring producers."

"We celebrate black excellence and are hopeful that with our migration from analogue to digital terrestrial television, more young, black producers will come forth to exploit the opportunities that will be presented by the new multi-channel environment."

SABC admits the public broadcaster should have been more hands-on earlier over imploded, high-risk Uselwa; shuttered show taken over by Stained Glass Pictures as SABC has no footage to show for the money.

The SABC admits that the South African public broadcaster should have been more hands-on earlier and should have known sooner that the imploded, high-risk Uselwa production was facing trouble, with the shuttered show that has now been taken over by Stained Glass Pictures while the SABC has no footage to show for the millions it has already spent.

The SABC now says two SABC staffers are facing disciplinary action for not having done enough oversight on the NCA Productions show that dramatically imploded in mid-June when production on the over R4 million show abruptly shut down with just R13.65 left in the bank and the cast and crew who revolved after they haven't been paid.

Production on Uselwa, a new drama series for SABC1 that was filmed at Shakaland in Eshowe in KwaZulu-Natal, imploded when line producer Megan Firth was asked to resign and executive producer Mkhomazi Mashinini faced revolt from the over 80 cast and crew over gross mismanagement.

The SABC asked Stained Glass Pictures, the production company behind the KwaMashu set Uzalo on SABC1 to take over and save the show.

Last week Stained Glass Pictures shut down production completely on Uzalo over the commercially insolvent SABC's non-payment to producers of money owed for shows. Production on Uzalo resumed on Monday after promises by the SABC to pay some of the outstanding money due, but Uselwa remains in limbo.

Nomsa Philiso, the SABC's group executive for television, told parliament's portfolio committee on communications that "NCA Productions was part of those that was identified as an emerging producer. This was the first time that the producer was producing a drama series and we do know that these type of productions do become high risk."

"The SABC does have a responsibility to play an oversight role but also has got to be mindful of the fact that this is an independent production and has got to be run in that way. In this case we do believe that the SABC should have picked it up a little bit earlier."

"As a high risk project the SABC should have been more focused on how the funds are being dispersed. By the time the SABC team that was supposed to be on site reported the problem to us, I think there was R13 left in the bank and therefore the whole thing imploded," said Nomsa Philiso.

"These two employees have since been taken to task and are facing disciplinary action because we do believe that they could have done better."

"We have since exercised a take-over clause, which allows us to then pass this on to another production house that will save the production. We have also interviewed the cast members to ascertain exactly what has gone wrong because there were a lot of allegations."

"On 17 August we have dispensed R600 000 which will be paid by Stained Glass Pictures to some of the cast and crew members, and the other R600 000 is also being paid, it is however waiting for the people to produce invoices and proof so that there can be a paper trail."

"At this stage the SABC does not have any footage because the crew and the directors have held on to it in exchange for their wages. So once we've paid them we will then when we get the footage see how far that is and then we can take it to the next level," said Nomsa Philiso.

After no pay Uzalo on SABC1 abruptly shuts down due to the SABC’s worsening cash crisis.

The filming of Uzalo has abruptly ceased with production that has shut down on the SABC and South Africa's biggest and most-watched show and sending shockwaves through South Africa's TV industry due to the South African public broadcaster failure to pay producers as the broadcaster moves ever closer to financial implosion.

Uzalo is the most watched show on SABC1 and on South African television in its entirety, drawing in excess of 9 million per episode, but the SABC that is basically bankrupt, is no longer able to afford the show, with Uzalo's production company as well as a litany of other producers who are not being paid although the SABC still wants them to supply content.

Last week SABC executives told parliament the public broadcaster will only have R26 million left at the end of August while debt has spiralled to over R694 million. It means that the SABC owes 27 times more than the money it has left.

The SABC said it's struggling to pay to keep "water and lights" on, then staffers and freelance workers, and the pays what it can to other service providers and producers.

After years of mismanagement, corruption, looting and irregular expenditure of hundreds of millions of rands and the destruction wreaked by its former COO, Hlaudi Motsoeneng, the SABC is once again hovering on the brink of collapse, desperate for another government bailout since its previous one in 2009 when it got a R1.47 billion Nedbank loan guaranteed by the government.

Stained Glass Pictures that produces Uzalo said production shut down on Monday on the KwaMashu set prime time drama series until the SABC starts paying.

It follows two weeks after producers within South Africa's TV community started buzzing that Uzalo is in serious trouble as well and is facing the impossible choice of either firing crew and staffers or having to shut down if it's not going to get paid by the SABC within two weeks. That has now happened.

"It's so sad because they're such sweet people and don't want to lose their contract and they're still a relatively new production company, trying to hard to create good work for the SABC," a producer not directly involved with the show but with connections there, said.

TVwithThinus was reliably informed that other production companies are likely set to follow Stained Glass Pictures, with producers who are at wit's end and fed-up with the SABC who can no longer continue to take make content for the public broadcaster and take out bank loans to finance it, instead of actually getting paid by the SABC who has simply shifted the cost burden to producers.

"As a company we carried the cost of production for as long as we were able to, while waiting for the outstanding payments to be settled by the public broadcaster," says Pepsi Pokane, Uzalo's executive producer.

Uzalo will remain shut down for at least this week until the end of August with the cast and crew who suspended their services since they were not paid on 25 August. It means that the window between production and episode delivery to the SABC will narrow by at least a week as SABC1 starts to use up and play out the reserve episodes.

Stained Glass Pictures says the production staff have exercised their right to withhold services until they receive their August salaries. "We are in constant communication with the broadcaster and are confident that this will all be resolved in the next week," the company said.

Ironically the SABC reached out to Stained Glass Pictures to help after the disastrous implosion of its other TV drama, Uselwa where all the money is gone and with the cast and crew unpaid and the broadcaster having no footage to show for it.

The SABC asked Stained Glass Pictures to take over managing the Uselwa crisis, although Uzalo is now itself experiencing a crisis.

"Is the government ever going to let the SABC fail?" asked a TV executive who previously worked for the SABC as a producer but who is no longer doing work for the SABC. "Why isn't the government approving another SABC bailout and delaying the inevitable? Production companies have been made to suffer when they haven't had anything to do with causing this crisis".

The SABC asked for comment about the Uzalo shutdown on Monday night again cited it's precarious financial position.

"The SABC has reported on numerous platforms that it is experiencing dire financial difficulties with the corporation unable to meet its monthly financial obligations, after making critical payments," said Neo Momodu, SABC spokesperson.

"Payment arrangements are being made with suppliers, service providers and creditors and we are proactively engaging with these stakeholders."

"We remain concerned that a financially distressed public broadcaster will not only have negative effects on its staff, the local production industry, small, medium and micro enterprises, but on every citizen," Neo Momodu said.

South Africa's most-watched TV show, Uzalo, allegedly also affected by the beleaguered SABC's cash-crunch with whispers that it soon might have to let staff go.

South Africa's most-watched show, Uzalo, is allegedly also affected by the beleaguered SABC's cash-crunch and inability to pay TV producers, with whispers in the TV biz circulating that the production might possibly have to start letting some staffers go within weeks if it doesn't get paid.

Last week journalists heard from a longtime producer not working on the show but with connections and in touch with staffers there, who claimed that Uzalo is also struggling due to the South African public broadcaster's failure to pay local production companies and service providers what they're owed.

The person told journalists that if Uzalo apparently doesn't get money from the SABC within two weeks from now, that it will have to look at letting people go. "It's so sad because they're such sweet people and don't want to lose their contract and they're still a relatively new production company, trying to hard to create good work for the SABC."

The SABC owes South African producers millions of rand putting South Africa's TV and film production industry once again at risk with shows struggling to pay their casts and crews.

Uzalo remains the biggest show on South Africa television. The KwaMashu-set weekday drama series produced by Stained Glass TV, is the most-watched show in the country and on SABC1, luring 9.16 million viewers (26.2 AR) during July for its most watched episode.

Stained Glass TV is the company that the SABC reached out to during its emergency at the end of June to possibly take over production of the broadcaster's other KwaZulu-Natal produced drama series, Uselwa, after that show imploded and abruptly shut down when producers failed to pay the cast and crew.

There's been no public announcement from the SABC yet regarding the shuttered Uselwa and whether Stained Glass TV did indeed take over managing that show.

TVwithThinus asked the SABC in a media enquiry last week about Uzalo to get clarity on whether it's correct that the show has not been paid by the broadcaster. The SABC was asked for comment about this, and when the show will be paid if it hasn't been paid. The SABC didn't respond.

Dreamcatcher Multimedia that reps Uzalo and communicates on behalf of the drama series was also asked last week in media enquiries to get specifically the production company's response about the claim that Uzalo hasn't been paid and that it might soon lead to job losses. Uzalo's PR manager, Marang Setshwaelo didn't respond with any comment.


UPDATE Monday 13 August 2018, 15:00: In a statement from from Uzalo through Dreamcatcher, the production says "as per our client/supplier policy, it is Stained Glass policy not to disclose details of commercial arrangements with clients. As such, we would direct you to the SABC official spokespeople should you require further detail on the current position".

UPDATE Monday 13 August 2018, 15:30: In a statement Kaizer Kganyago, SABC spokesperson, says "the SABC is directly engaging with its partners and service providers, therefore we will not be drawn into discussing this matter in the public space".