Muvhango Is Back With A Season 26 This August With Leleti Khumalo Added To The Lineup And New Afrikaans Soap Reportedly In Development By The SABC

After the public broadcaster announced that the Venda soap had been axed earlier in the month. It is now reported that Muvhango will return for a 26th season from August 5th with Leleti Khumalo joining the cast alongside a younger cast, logo and storyline. 

The decision to continue on with Muvhango had to do with viewer's reaction over the sudden cancellation with the ratings to the rebroadcast reaching an all time low. The financially challenged broadcaster low on funds had no choice but to revive it.

Reruns are being scrapped ahead of its conclusion as those who were probably giving in to their democracy story and some who are actually watching it for the first time will be rather confused on why a different season has come on out of the blue.

With the SABC that had this to say in an enquiry:

"We had challenges. But we are here now and we are unveiling a new season," says Lala Tuku, acting group executive of SABC video entertainment, speaking at a hastily arranged media event in Fourways on Thursday night.

"We have no doubt that Muvhango will reach its targets for the slot, wink, wink. We've worked intensely with the team to bring you invigorated stories," she said.

She alluded that financial issues - the SABC is technically insolvent - and ratings - Muvhango has lost millions of viewers over the past decade - are the crux that caused "a tussle" in negotiations around signing Word of Mouth Pictures to bring Muvhango back for another season.

"The reality is that the SABC derives its revenue from advertising. We require audiences to choose to watch our content. The reality is we have brilliant content on our platform and we need our audiences to select it and come in."

New Afrikaans soap in development 

When 7de Laan ended its run on 26 December 2023, the public broadcaster failed to replace the soap on time due to finance constraints. This led to reruns of the sitcom Vetkoekpaleis before most of the Afrikaans offering was redirected to SABC 3.

Word going around is that a new Afrikaans soap is in development for SABC 2 in 7de Laan's former timeslot. With most details still underwraps, this soap would therefore take on Kelders Van Geheime on e.tv and likely end up on a losing battle. 

7de Laan was only able to pull almost half of Annekan Die Swa Kry's viewership. Die Sentrum which served as a companion to 7de Laan pulled much less than 7de Laan and with some already reliant on rival platforms this soap might fail to capture audiences.

Maybe moving it to SABC 3 will do less damage as Afrikaans news has more viewers on the channel than it did with SABC 2. Another being that SABC 3 was being positioned as a rival to KykNET and eExtra so it would make sense allocating it there.

SABC 2 Will No Longer Broadcast The Springbok Inbound Test Matches Due To eMedia's Failure To Obtain Rights For Openview

Last month, SuperSport and the SABC came into agreement to televise the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup final live as well as two Springbok Test matches on a delayed basis. The final two Springbok matches are scheduled for broadcast on Saturday 6th and 13th July. 

These matches had been restricted from Openview consumers and due to that eMedia Investments had filed a court application with the Competition Tribunal after failing to acquire the necessary funds for the matches.

Now SABC will no longer be able to air these matches on SABC 2 but updates will be available on their radio stations. As mentioned, the outcome to eMedia Investments' appeal would lead to millions of households without DStv access to Springbok matches. 

SABC was paying for these matches at a discounted rate provided that Openview and even StarSat don't air it. Now that this barrier appears to be broken SuperSport could as well refuse to license further games to the SABC unless they pay full amount for the rights. 

This comes after the public broadcaster had to cancel Muvhango at the last minute with some sources eyeing Generations: The Legacy as the next soap to be on the chopping block.

Statement from the SABC

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) regrets that it will no longer be able to broadcast the Springbok Inbound Test matches against Ireland on Saturday, the 6th and Saturday the 13th of July 2024, as previously communicated.

This decision follows the recent urgent litigation at the Competition Appeal Court over the broadcast rights to the Test matches which necessitated the SABC to review its decision to continue with the sub-license Agreement concluded with Multichoice.

The SABC remains committed to broadcasting sports of national interest and to this end, the following SABC’s African Language Stations (Motsweding FM, Lesedi FM, Thobela FM, Ukhozi FM, Umhlobo Wenene FM, Ligwalagwala FM, Ikwekwezi FM, Munghana Lonene FM, Phalaphala FM, RSG) and Radio 2000 will be broadcasting all the six Inbound Springbok matches. The kick off time for the match tomorrow is 17h00.

The SABC will always strive to achieve its sports broadcast mandate without compromising its commercial objectives.

Muvhango Reportedly Cancelled After 27 Years On SABC 2 As The Public Broadcaster Fails To Renew The Venda Soap

After an impressive 27-year run, “Muvhango,” the beloved South African TV soap opera, aired its final episode yesterday. The show, known for its compelling storytelling and rich cultural representation, has been a staple in households across the nation.The decision to end “Muvhango” was not made lightly.

According to insiders, a combination of declining viewership and shifts in audience preferences led to the conclusion that it was time to bring the long-running series to a close. Another contributing factor was the public broadcaster's financial constraints. 

Producers expressed their gratitude to loyal fans who have supported the show throughout its journey.”Muvhango” has made a significant impact on South African television, providing a platform for numerous actors and addressing important social issues.

As “Muvhango” bids farewell, its legacy as a groundbreaking and influential show in South African entertainment history will be remembered. Fans were encouraged to tune in tonight for the emotional final episode, marking the end of an era.

SABC 2 will be airing a rebroadcast to the first season in place of the final season as we await details on what the broadcaster's next move will be in accommodating this timeslot. News of its demise was sort of last minute to most media outlets. 

SABC 2 Distances Themselves From Anime With Inazuma Eleven Reduced From 5 To 2 Days

SABC 2 is a South African free-to-air channel catered towards families that operated by the public broadcaster. It is home to soaps Muvhango and formerly 7de Laan alongside other content such as Deal Or No Deal SA and Speak Out.

During the year, SABC 2 underwent a major restructure as part of the public broadcaster's endeavors of reinventing themselves and getting with the times. This has led to a reduction of Afrikaans content as the latter had been folded under SABC 3.

This wasn't the only endeavor SABC 2 had further minimized in the last months as Inazuma Eleven has moved an hour early from 17:00 to 16:00. Initially airing 5 days a week from Monday to Friday was reduced to Thursday and Friday being 2 days.

Based on the BBC show of the same name, Ready Steady Cook South Africa is a collaboration between Primedia Studios and the production company Rose and Oaks Media. They were also responsible for The Masked Singer South Africa on SABC 3.

This was the show SABC 2 had allocated at the 17:00 timeslot with 260 episodes having being commissioned. After SABC had redirected Deal Or No Deal SA from SABC 1 to 2 with Afrikaans news bulletin Nuus from SABC 2 to 3 the ratings fell flat.

Unlike the latter, we have to yet how Ready Steady Cook SA is performing ratings wise same with Inazuma Eleven. When DragonBall Super aired it was the top 5 watched show pulling 600,000 viewers so we can only assume these shows are only getting half.

As seen below ratings for DragonBall Super and a more recent ratings sheet with Ready Steady Cook SA nowhere in site:

If we had to guess the reason for anime's downfall on SABC 2 is likely due to existing competiton from Crunchyroll, YouTube and Netflix. Another being SABC 2's failure in consistency as shows Yu-Gi-Oh were sidelined by them for nearly a decade.

News Shorts: Play Room Acquires Broadcasting Rights To Cave Club, Baby Cele Joins Season 2 Of Sibongile And The Dlaminis And Raid The Cage Delayed On SABC 2

Cave Club is now part of the Play Room family 

Welcome to a land of adventure, exploration, and even dinosaurs. Join five fearless friends as they discover the unexpected origins of some of today's most popular trends and tackle relatable issues. These B.F.F.s will be the first to see and do everything-starting with the first-ever best friends' group, Cave Club.

It will air daily at 07:30 from 6 June.

Baby Cele Joins Season 2 of Sibongile & The Dlaminis

Baby Cele is joining season 2 of Sibongile & The Dlaminis as Samkelisiwe, Bab’Ntombela’s sister, and it looks like she is set to shake things up for her former friends Deliwe and Phetheni.

The three met as young women and connected over their shared experience of being scammed, but she got the short end of the stick in this friendship trio, which sets her on a path for revenge.

Baby Cele is one of the extremely talented actors in Mzansi and she has showcased her talent on productions like Mzansi Magic’s Ring Of Lies, Saints and Sinners and recently Shaka Ilembe. Watch her as she returns to Ixopo and turns some people’s lives upside down on the new season of Sibongile & The Dlaminis on Mzansi Wethu (DStv Channel 163) from 29 July at 6:30pm.  

SABC 2 delayed Raid The Cage

In late March the SABC at a programming upfront in Johannesburg rolled out podcasters Sol Phenduka and Mac G on stage before stakeholders and announced them as the co-presenters of Raid the Cage South Africa that the public broadcaster said would start on 27 May on SABC2.

According to insiders, the SABC made the announcement about Raid the Cage and other shows without various contracts having been signed yet. 

Raid the Cage SA for SABC2 is another one of the shows acquired by Primedia Studios and done for the SABC and is one of the new crop of localised format shows produced by Anele Mdoda and Frankie du Toit's Rose and Oaks Media like The Masked Singer SA and Ready, Steady, Cook for SABC3. 

Recap To Last Month: Ridiculousness Makes Its To The Top 20 Watched Shows On SABC 2

Ridiculousness is a comedic clip show produced by Rob Dyrek for MTV Studios and as DStv consumers already know this MTV's SpongeBob. It showcases the most hilarious viral videos divided into categories with the host interacting with various guests. 

SABC 2 acquired rights to the show sometime in 2023 and although no word was given on its audience number we can only assume it was low at the time. The last watched show Voetspore had 490k in March while in April Soul'd Out Sessions pulled 320k.

If we had to guess, consumers of SABC 2 were probably perplexed at some of the adjustments to the lineup that they were browsing for something to view. Surprisingly, Ridiculousness ranked at #11 last month with 520k viewers with some possibility of an increase.

It's not everyday where a program magically appears on these stats sheet especially eyeing a top 10. If Ridiculousness was going at a very slow and steady pace it would be sitting below the top 15 unless some form of marketing was associated with its viewers.

Similar to sports upbringing on SABC 3, we anticipate that Ridiculousness will be heavily disregarded as it currently broadcasts on SABC 2 every Sunday at 18:30.

Recap To The Week: SABC Unveils A Slate Of Content For Their Channels In The Coming Months Including Wheel Of Fortune SA And Winnie Mandela Doccie In Partnership With Netflix

Not long ago, it was reported that both BBC Studios and SABC had formed a content new deal which would see several content from the BBC fold under two hour block on SABC 3. Prior to this, SABC held a content showcase unveiling several content in the pipeline. 

For SABC 1, they'll be partnering up with Netflix SA on two doccies, The Trials of Winnie Mandela and Just call me Arch. These will be based on the lives of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu - no dates have been shared as yet.

Netflix also scooped up The Bold And The Beautiful after the public broadcaster couldn't afford to keep it on air and rivals such as Vodacom Video Play and EVA channel on DStv shuttered. 

Other projects in development for SABC 1 include Sjava's 1 Man Show (15 June), Breaking Down Borders (3 July) and Roxic (8 October). Returning shows include Hotspot Seli (formerly Selimathunzi, 4 July) and The Voice South Africa (28 September).

For SABC 2 and SABC 3, the public broadcaster will be expanding the reality lineup with Wheel Of Fortune SA, Raid The Cage (27 May), Crown Chasers (22 June), Big Day For 2K (June) and Wife Swap SA (1 July) and an untitled popular American game show. 

Returning shows on the channel include The Masked Singer SA (13 April), Taste Masters (23 April) and former e.tv program SA's Got Talent (5 June), Miss SA 2024 (11 August) and Tropika Island Of Treasure (21 September).

This comes after the SABC had axed 7de Laan after 23 years on air with the public broadcaster moving further Afrikaans programs such as 50/50 and Voetspore to SABC 3. This had caused a rift with consumers and the public broadcaster had addressed the matter.

David Makubyane, head of SABC channels, said changes like Skeem Saam moving to a later timeslot on SABC1 and Afrikaans content shunted from SABC2 to SABC3 is because of changing content consumption patterns and the entrance of multiple video streaming services like Showmax, Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.

"We're not blind to the plethora of competitors and content providers that have come into the space, but we stand firm and believe that the new content offering that we are going to showcase and give to our viewers will really put us into a competitive edge."

New Series Alert: Showmax's Twende To Make Its Linear Debut On Play Room, SABC 2's Magic Cellar Also Added To The Lineup

Play Room, a South African based children's channel operated by Ngwato Nkosi Group that offers fun and learning through live-action and animated shows dubbed in Zulu will be expanding the local lineup during the school holidays with Twende and Magic Cellar.

After launching on Showmax in 2023, Twende will be making their linear debut on Play Room. It's not shocking cause after M-Net axed K-TV this content needed a platform and despite M-Net having no management of Play Room do provide funding through MultiChoice. 

SABC's influence on the channel is expanding with the inclusion of Magic Cellar. It would join other shows to have been offered by the public broadcaster including Akili And Me, Bino And Fino and Jabu's Jungle.

Twende follows a pangolin of the same name, the slowest moving animal in the savannah. He believes life is about the journey, not the destination’ and is constantly at odds with his job as a boda boda driver in the bustling, fictional East African city of Milima.

Produced by MultiChoice Studios, Twende is voiced by Junior Nyong’o, while June Gachui plays his best friend and navigator, Nuru – a smart bird who always looks out for Twende, even if his chilled-out vibe drives her crazy sometimes. 

Magic Cellar is a long-form 3D animated series based on African culture which focuses on folktales, partially collected via interviews with elders in villages. It featured a multicultural cast of characters, with the principal character being an African girl.

Since its inception, Magic Cellar won 42 international awards, including Gold and Silver World Medals at the New York Festivals, a Platinum REMI Award and First Prize at the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival (CICFF).

Twende will air on weekdays at 17:00 replacing Total Dramarama from 25 March and Magic Cellar likely dubbed in Zulu will replace Akili And Me on weekdays at 08:15 on Play Room. 

Recap To Last Month: Vetkoekpaleis Loses Another 100,000 Viewers As SABC 2 Becomes The Third Most Watched Channel In February

Since Vetkoekpaleis reentry onto SABC 2, the sitcom has been garnered a lot of backlash from consumers. Mainly from several fans of 7de Laan cause after its abrupt end consumers opted to boycott 18:00 and flee to eExtra's Kuiertyd and KykNET. 

As the after effects illustrate, Vetkoekpaleis lost another 100,000 viewers in the month of February with its current audience sitting at 400,000. Basically, half of 7de Laan's current audience are putting up with the repeats while others flee to rival broadcasters. 

With SABC 2 which for several years has been the leading brand behind SABC 1 has fallen short. This was after AFCON lured 2 million viewers on SABC 3 while SABC 2's most watched show Muvhango was only short of 500,000 viewers to retain its title.

During the month, the public broadcaster had made scheduling changes across their channels. None of which has proven to be "historical" with Nuus that was pulling around the same figure as Vetkoekpaleis sitting with 160,000 viewers on SABC 3.

Prior to this, the public broadcaster was warned that these changes will further alienate viewers and these figures prove it. With Vetkoekpaleis remaining as the last Afrikaans programs on SABC 2 the show will most likely continue to lose viewers at a rapid pace.

Unlike e.tv, the public broadcaster has nothing to sort of help compliment Vetkoekpaleis as Nuus and other Afrikaans programs move to SABC 3 with FOKUS cancelled.

Ratings Flop: Afrikaans News Loses Over 70% Of Its Viewers Following Its Move To SABC 3

Not long ago, it was reported that the public broadcaster had lost over 2 million viewers with Skeem Saam and Deal Or No Deal SA. Following the schedule changes across their 3 most viewed channels, the public broadcaster is now looking at the after effects.

Nuus becomes the latest victim in this massacre after debuting with 450,000 viewers in February is currently sitting with around 160,000 viewers. This due to strong competition coming from eExtra's Kuiertyd and KykNET with the other being the late timeslot.

With its dismal figures one has to wonder if Nuus will stick around for the foreseeable future or suffer the same fate as FOKUS and 7de Laan. Again, lots of speculation going around that the SABC had canned Afrikaans with the lack of new content.

Although, they've denied it time and time again it only comes to the amount of airtime this offering gets for which SABC 3 lacks. The only change on SABC 3 would be the addition of Nuus with everything else being normal viewing as if consumers got a peace prize. 

With the lack of Afrikaans content also seen on SABC 2, this might have some after effects for Vetkoekpaleis. It's currently sitting with 400,000 viewers after debuting in January with 500,000 viewers meaning at least half of 7de Laan viewers watch the repeat.

Ratings Flop: Deal Or No Deal Loses 1.5 Million Viewers Following Move To SABC 2

During the week, it was reported that Skeem Saam had lost 1.3 million viewers following its move from 18:30 to 19:30 on SABC 1. The public broadcaster regards it as "a massive historical ratings figure" after its viewership went from 4.3 million to 3.2 million.

This comes after repeats of Vetkoekpaleis caused SABC 2 to lose 300,000 viewers following the cancellation of 7de Laan. With eMedia Investments ramping up a rival offering with 90 Minutes Of Afrikaans that has lured almost 2 million viewers. 

According to sources, the newly relaunched game show Deal Or No Deal SA had lost 1.5 million viewers following its move to SABC 2. After pulling close to 2 million viewers on SABC 1 last month had dropped to just 400,000 viewers in March.

The SABC was warned prior to the move of Afrikaans programs from SABC 2 to SABC 3. That further changes to the lineup would lead to a decline in consumption for their channels as sources await details of the ratings of Nuus on SABC 3.

With the decline in consumption, it is evident here that consumers were accustomed to the previous setup of these programs. If the public broadcaster were hoping for that "historical figure" they could tried marketing these changes in between shows.

Recap To The Week: Akira Toriyama Creator Of DragonBall Z Alongside The Backyardigans Creator Janice Burgess Has Passed Away

DragonBall creator has died 

When it comes to the world of anime and Japanese pop culture, many will know and love the Dragon Ball franchise. The manga, which was first created by Toriyama in September 1985, won over the hearts of fans instantly. 

However, news has hit the Dragon Ball community as well as the manga and anime industries at large on March 7, 2024. Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama is confirmed to have died at age 68.

Statement from the official DBZ account:

“We are deeply saddened to inform you that Manga creator Akira Toriyama passed away on March 1 due to acute subdural hematoma. It’s our deep regret that he still had several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm. Also, he would have many more things to achieve.”

Backyardians creator had died

Janice Burgess, a longtime executive of the Nickelodeon channel who sought to promote children’s curiosity and sense of play for decades, overseeing popular television shows like “Blue’s Clues” and “Little Bill” and creating her own musical children’s show, “The Backyardigans,” died on Saturday in hospice care in Manhattan. She was 72.

Brown Johnson, a longtime friend and the creator of Nick Jr., the Nickelodeon channel for younger viewers, said the cause was breast cancer.

Recap To The Month: e.tv Reportedly Looking To Replace 7de Laan With New Afrikaans Drama, Could This Be The Final Nail In The Coffin For SABC?

As some readers are aware, SABC decided to cancel 7de Laan after 23 years on air with repeats of Snoozefest Vetkoekpaleis taking up its timeslot. Prior to this, there was a whole debate amongst viewers urging either DStv or e.tv to revive the soap.

Since 7de Laan is technically a product of SABC that makes its almost impossible to consider. Another theory shared by a viewer was the possibility of e.tv looking to ramp up a similar offering seeing as kykNET already has Suidooster and Binnelanders and not everyone has DStv.

According to insiders, e.tv is currently filming a new local drama of course details of a name or plot has yet to be revealed. This drama which will be in Afrikaans (not dubbed) is set for release sometime in the year most likely after Ouma Sarie seeing as it forms a block on e.tv.

Ouma Sarie launched on e.tv in 2023 and is said to be the most watched Afrikaans drama with 1.8 million viewers. This was basically half of 7de Laan's viewers and even shows like Droomvelore and Die Vreemdeling which serve as imported content had more viewers than 7de Laan.

During the week, it was reported the public broadcaster would be moving their Afrikaans programming on SABC 3 (excluding Vetkoekpaleis). With rumours swirling around that SABC would be cancelling further Afrikaans programs across their channels.

Although SABC denied such allegations the public broadcaster hasn't introduced any new content in that area. With the cancellation of FOKUS, the public broadcaster was warned that further alienation of Afrikaans programming would lead to a loss of viewers and advertisers.

Following the cancellation of 7de Laan, Nuus now serves as the most watched Afrikaans program on SABC 2 currently in the top 10 with 500,000 which is 300,000 less from 7de Laan. This move to SABC 3 would lead it to lose its ranking with audiences fleeing.

It's not just the channel but the timeslot to be direct 20:30 which is where consumers are probably tuning to their Turkish stories on eExtra or other local content on kykNET.

Vetkoekpaleis as mentioned is also being brutalized with its viewership sitting around 500,000 (300,000 drop) while 7de Laan bowed with 800,000 viewers. With e.tv rolling out this drama in the coming months consumers of Vetkoekpaleis will likely revert to e.tv once it launches.

Recap To Last Year: SABC 2 Has Lost 300,000 Viewers Following The Relaunch Of Snoozefest Vetkoek Paleis And Cancellation Of 7de Laan

Last year, the public broadcaster decided to end 7de Laan after its 23 year run with the last episode accumulating 800,000. It was since then replaced by a rebroadcast of 90s sitcom Vetkoekpaleis as the public broadcaster struggles to source income for more new content.

Following the series inception, Vetkoekpaleis was only able to pull 600,000 viewers in December making it 200,000 viewers short from 7de Laan. News of its re-entry was met with backlash from devoted SABC fans with most opting to rival stations like eExtra and kykNET.

This was proven as Vetkoekpaleis which was ranked in the top 5 viewed content on SABC 2 in December is now under the the top 10 from last month. Even more embarassing is how Nuus managed to accumulate more viewers than the actual repeat.

During the month, it was reported that the public broadcaster had cancelled FOKUS and will move remaining Afrikaans programs such as 50/50 and Nuus to SABC 3. While as other shows such as  Vetkoekpaleis will continue to air on SABC 2 most probably until it's ends.

This news similar to the induction of Vetkoekpaleis wasn't sitting well with some viewers. If anything, the move to SABC 3 will likely lead to a drop in consumption for shows to have stayed back on SABC 2 such as Vetkoekpaleis and probably lead more viewers to opt for rivals.

SABC hasn't been producing much content for this audience that some had only tuned into SABC 2 for 7de Laan. With less content hoping aboard SABC 3, this won't look good for their viewership and if anything probably endangers the possibility of a follow-up to 7de Laan.

Recap To Last Month: uMbali Makes History And Becomes The First Late Night Series Debuts In The Top 10 On e.tv, Vetkoekpaleis Continues To Be A Rating Disappointment On SABC 2

uMbali is garnering attention

After debuting on e.tv by October 2023, uMbali has proved to be a ratings success the first in the 22:00 timeslot as the series enters at the #11 spot from last month accumulating 1.8 million viewers. Other shows like Is'pindiselo crossed the 2 million when it aired on Sunday.

After eMedia Investments had opted to allocated these shows on weekdays neither Is'pindiselo or Housewives got the time of day after undergoing several timeslot changes as eMedia Investments continues to position e.tv in the leagues of SABC 1 and Mzansi Magic.

Viewers continue to boycott Vetkoekpaleis

After 7de Laan ended its run on SABC 2, the series was reported to have accumulated 800,000 viewers on its last episode. With the public broadcaster low on income substituted the drama with a 90s sitcom, Vetkoekpaleis.

Since it's inception, Vetkoekpaleis pulled 600,000 viewers following its reentry to primetime in December and after a month it currently sits with 500,000 viewers making it 100,000 viewers short as consumers migrate to eExtra's Kuiertyd and kykNET on DStv.

Why Yu-Gi-Oh Is Getting A Lot Of Backlash On SABC 2?

SABC 2 is the public broadcaster's second free-to-air channel which boasts a variety of content ranging from news, music, reality shows, movies and drama series. It had also garnered popularity for its 5pm timeslot which featured anime like Dragonball, Bleach and One Piece.

As seen in the past year, Yu-Gi-Oh had taken over the channel so much so that viewers aren't tuning into SABC 2 in that timeslot. When Dragonball debuted it formed one of the top 10 most watched shows on the channel while Yu-Gi-Oh Is not even seen in the Top 20.

As some readers are aware, SABC has been dealing with financial constraints that it's taken much longer to acquire new content. This only drives away viewers from the channel which is what "was" currently seen with Yu-Gi-Oh as SABC 2 had been repeating old seasons for almost a year.

This comes as a problem because some viewers would tune into the channel or keep tabs. Anime has a smaller market on cable TV and aside from SABC 2 there's also Toonami and Cartoon Network.

Unlike the latter, SABC 2 offered more mature content that would depict violence, strong language and other adult scenes. Other broadcasters would equip more family focused or kid friendly shows which is where Yu-Gi-Oh currently resides unfortunately.

SABC 2 for years on end would bring these type of shows to their audience and filter out the demographic of Yu-Gi-Oh. Despite once owning rights to Pokémon and Doraemon, SABC should have tried retaining offering of a similar stature while deploying shows like Bleach.

SABC Cancels Fokus And Shifts Afrikaans Programming Such As Voetspore And 50/50 From SABC 2 To SABC 3

Last year, it was reported that the SABC would be axing the Afrikaans soap 7de Laan after its 23 year run for repeats of Vetkoekpaleis. The public broadcaster had been struggling to acquire new content and update their brands due to financial constraints.

Since then, they have been cutting back on programming for their viewers with uBettina Wethu that was revived on e.tv for season 4. Then there's sort of rumours going around that Takalani Sesame had also been a subject for cancellation with rebroadcasts on e.tv.

Now it has been reported that Fokus, one of the last few Afrikaans shows to have aired on SABC 2 had been cancelled by the network. Not only that they're looking to transition SABC 3 into a multilingual channel by March 2024 with the addition of news, 50/50 and Voetspore.

Caroline Phalakatshela, SABC TV publicist, confirmed to Netwerk24 that the SABC has cancelled Fokus since it "no longer fits in" with SABC2 and the broadcaster's plan to move Afrikaans shows to SABC3 from March as part of a strategic decision.

When you look at it, I can kind of see where SABC was getting by moving Afrikaans to SABC 3. This portion of the channel had been ousted in favour of eExtra's Kuiertyd and kykNET so aligning it with SABC 3 is probably one way to help alleviate the viewership.

SABC has been trying to cater for all indigenous languages and for several years had burdened SABC 2 with 7 languages (including English) while SABC 3 would just cater to one with SABC 1 offering 2 languages.

SABC 3 similar with M-Net hasn't been dominant with the current demographic of SABC 1 and Mzansi Magic. While Uzalo is able to pull around 5 million viewers, Vetkoekpaleis was only able to obtain below 700,000 viewers which is almost half of SABC 3's current audience.

In general, most of the content like Noot Vir Noot and as mentioned Fokus had been pulling similar figures to SABC 3. The channel with a smaller number of viewers has a long journey ahead to try and retain the remaining viewers of Vetkoekpaleis and 50/50.

News Shorts: SABC 2 Acquired Rights To Football Themed Anime Series Inazuma Eleven, A Rebroadcast Of Queen Of Miami Launches On Telemundo Africa And KykNET & Kie Unveils New Afrikaans Drama Skemergrond

SABC 2 enters the football field

Following SABC's financial constraints, the public broadcaster had been struggling to obtain new content. As such anime on SABC 2 had been on limbo often featuring repeat broadcasts of Yu-Gi-Oh and now the channel is offering new content with Inazuma Eleven.

It follows a talented young goalkeeper tries to revive his school's lackluster team in this anime series based on the hit manga and video game. Currently streaming on Netflix and formerly seen on Nicktoons and Toonami, the series airs weekdays at 17:00 replacing Yu-Gi-Oh.

Another rebroadcast enters the month of romance

After launching rebroadcasts of My Heart Beats For Lola, The Chosen Granddaughter and A Woman Of Steel. Telemundo is set to be recruiting yet another series, Queen Of Miami ahead of the final season of Queen Of The South both of which star Kate Del Castillo as lead.

Synopsis for Queen Of Miami

Traumatized by the events of a difficult life and driven to avenge the betrayal of a husband, Anastasia Cardona will find, in the illicit business of her husband, the wealth which she has always desired. Her thirst for power overrides any limits when choosing her victims.

It replaces Prisoner Of Love from 26 February.

KykNET & Kie announces a new drama series

A new telenovela Skemergrond, set in a small Western Cape town will replace the popular Arendsvlei from July on kykNET&kie (DStv 145) with the new Afrikaans show also produced by Penguin Films and filled with characters "all carrying dark secrets".

Once the cancelled Arendsvlei ends, Skemergrond will also broadcast four episodes weekly from Mondays to Thursdays in the 19:30 timeslot on kykNET&kie. Casting that will include veteran actors as well as new faces is still to be announced.

The new telenovela is set in Gemoedsdrif, a small town in the Western Cape where the Louw family has a flower farm. 

Battle Of The Kaan'ers: kykNET & Kie's Newest Addition Moederhart Clashes With e.tv's Annekan Die Swa Kry While Repeat Telecasts Of e.tv's Ouma Sarie Airs In The Timeslot As SABC 2's Vetkoekpaleis

During the week, kykNET & Kie revived the 17:30 timeslot with Moederhart after quietly ripping away primetime from the channel when In Die Ysterhand Se Greep ended. There was a lot of commotion of a follow-up and surprisingly it had garnered popularity with our readers.

Moederhart tells the story of three sisters and their brother - Zeynep, Emre, Cemre and Aysun - who, together with their mother, Nefise, are left in poverty after the sudden death of their father. As a single mother, Nefise often feels powerless, but with the help of a family member, she starts working for a rich family in a mansion. 

The series airs Mondays to Thursdays at 17:30 on kykNET & Kie prior to that will be Annekan Die Swa Kry at 17:00 on e.tv. Similar to Skeem Saam on SABC 1 which is set to air in the same timeslot as Scandal consumers will have to juggle two shows.

Prior to that, eMedia Investments made a small adjustment to their line-up by slotting an extra 30 minutes to Ouma Sarie which will air weekdays at 18:00 to accompany Annekan Die Swa Kry in a segment known as 90 minutes of Afrikaans.

After 7de Laan was axed on SABC 2, the public broadcaster opted to air a telecast of the comedy Vetkoekpaleis in its timeslot in which eMedia acquired for eExtra. There was a lot of media debacle as to whether e.tv would look to ramp up a rival offering.

From January 15, Ouma Sarie will air in the same timeslot as Vetkoekpaleis on SABC 2 at 18:00. Considering that eExtra will be offering the drama Vetkoekpaleis it wouldn't surprise me if it were to resurface on e.tv once Ouma Sarie ends as both were exclusive to eExtra.

Battle Of The Oldies: SABC 2 Revisits The 90s With The Afrikaans Sitcom Vetkoekpaleis (Replacing 7de Laan) And eExtra's Kuiertyd Is Travelling To A Much Distant Time With Ballade Vir 'n Enkeling

7de Laan is being replaced by a rerun

During the day, it was learnt by news outlets that SABC had an outstanding debt with Danie Odendaal Productions for the last remaining episodes of 7de Laan so unless they try to try to pay the remaining amount. Danie Odendaal Productions will hold the remaining episodes.

SABC 2 will be forced to end it by yesterday and not 26 December as planned. My hunch if the money isn't allocated soon they could air a past episode(s) temporarily another would be by the grace of an intellectual being pay the outstanding amount on their behalf.

What is set to replace 7de Laan once it comes to an end?

It's simple, SABC will be digging up their archives further bolstering the amount of repeats on their channels with Vetkoek Paleis. A classic 90s sitcom follows Frikkadel Delport who starts a take-away business when he is retrenched. In the process of finding his feet in his new venture, he appoints two staff members without really meaning to.

The implications: 7de Laan had a huge following and due to the cancellation a majority of consumers are likely to flee the channel and divert their attention to rival broadcasters. Not saying that Vetkoekpaleis isn't better alternative but SABC 2 barely did reruns to the sitcom. 

The only other platform to had offered it on one occasion was the defunct brand, SABC Encore. Majority of households can't afford to pay a majority of monthly expenses and that includes DStv and this is where most of SABC 2's viewers were situated at the moment.

Kuiertyd is entering the golden era 

eExtra, a general entertainment channel operated by eMedia Investments that is home to telenovelas from India, Asia and Turkey might be undergoing some schedule adjustments in the coming year. This has to pertain to their only weekend primetime offering, Soete Wraak.

In an updated EPG, Ballade Vir 'n Enkeling is listed in the timeslot currently reserved by Soete Wraak on the 14th January 2024. From the programme guide implies this could be the 1980s drama another would be the 2015 film that was made accessible on eExtra.

Ballade Vir 'n Enkeling airs from 20:00 to 22:30 and the idea of eExtra airing another local drama particularly for Kuiertyd audiences wouldn't seem far fetched. They had acquired rights to the comedy drama Ouma Sarie which is also viewable on e.tv.

Synopsis for Ballade Vir'n Enkeling: 

When well-known writer Jacques Rynhardt disappears, it is up to a journalist to unravel the mystery. To do that, she needs to go back to his childhood and get to know Jacques for who he was.