The most popular TV shows on SABC and DStv during level 5 lockdown

During the initial stages of the COVID-19 lockdown, South Africans were not allowed to leave their homes except for essential tasks and services.

Many were forced to look for entertainment that was not dependent on the outside world, and for this reason, there was a surge in data prices and TV viewership.

The Broadcast Research Council of South Africa (BRCSA) publishes monthly viewership figures for the SABC 1, SABC 2, and SABC 3 channels, as well as for Etv and DStv.

These figures reflect the monthly unique viewers that are aged 15 and above, and they reveal the most-watched television programmes in the country.

We looked at the figures for the first three months of the hard COVID-19 lockdown in South Africa – April, May, and June 2020 – to determine what people were watching over this period.

Local favourites Uzalo, Skeem Saam, The Queen, Scandal, and Muchango ranked highly, although regular updates from President Cyril Ramaphosa also featured prominently.

South Africans were eager to hear the government’s decisions on the nationwide lockdown restrictions, and therefore programmes which screened the President’s address saw a massive boost in popularity.

We have listed the most popular TV shows in South Africa during April, May, and June 2020 below.

April 2020

May 2020

June 2020

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