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.

Recap To Last Month: Nuus On SABC 3 Gains 100,000 Viewers In April As Turkish Drama Innocence Fails To Debut In The Top 20, Afrikaans Still Looming SABC 2 With Voetspore

After the public broadcaster wase warned that the removal of Afrikaans content on SABC 2 would lead to a decline in viewers and ad revenue. March proved to be an uphill battle for SABC 3 to gain these viewers as Nuus debuted at #10 with 317K.

Now on SABC 2, it was one of the leading Afrikaans shows following 7de Laan's demise pulling 621K viewers. Now for that to be halved and also remain below the top 10 makes it lose credibility during the month of March. 

The upside is that April saw Nuus add an extra 100k to its audience from March. This could prove to be a victory for SABC 3 as most content had fallen into the abyss but Nuus is helping shape up primetime and at the moment is the only Afrikaans show.

Innocence made its debut on SABC 3 a month ago and is nowhere in site while rebroadcasts of The Estate helped give the channel some purpose. It seems like the broadcaster's first attempt at rivaling with eExtra's Kuiertyd and KykNET went unnoticed.

On top of that Voetspore is dangling around the top 20 section of SABC 2 in April after promising to move that to SABC 3 making it the main network for Afrikaans content. The channel has not only needed to compete with third parties but even a brand like SABC 2.

Worst of all, Voetspore is pulling 455K viewers in the last month on SABC 2 while a majority of SABC 3 content is struggling to reach 420K as runner up Bundesliga, Soccer Build Up and Deal Or No Deal SA repeat had reached 400K to 419K.

Afrikaans Shorts: KykNET NOU Gets A Brand New Look, SABC 3 Unveil Character Details For Turkish Drama "Innocence" (Masumiyet) And A Rebroadcast Of Om Elke Draai And Hart Van Goud Launches On e.tv

KykNET NOU gets a makeover 

On Monday 1 April, your favourite music channel – kykNET NOU! (DStv channel 146) – gets a brand-new look. So, sit back, tune in, enjoy the public holiday and let us know what you think of the new look and feel.

kykNET NOU! also has a new music block starting on 1 April: Klankbaan will play iconic music videos from movie and TV series. Everything from “Ballade vir ’n enkeling” to “Binnelanders” is on the menu. Come and watch and hum or sing along.

Time slots:

Monday: 20:00 – 20:30

Wednesday: 15:00 – 15:30

Thursday: 22:00 – 22:30

Friday: 12:00 – 12:30

Saturday: 17:00 – 17:30

First look at the characters of SABC 3's new Turkish drama 

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e.tv is loading up on eExtra scraps

In the coming weeks, eExtra will be rolling out a new weeknight series Sommerdahl Moorde alongside local sitcom, Die Fakulteit. This comes after Doodsondes returned to eExtra after being burned off to e.tv and eVOD for two separate seasons.

With e.tv serving as eExtra's sloppy seconds will be adding Om Elke Draai to its lineup alongside Hart Van Goud after broadcasting on Kuiertyd's catchup block on e.tv will be back for a second time. 

Om Elke Draai is a modern love story series between Demir and Selin, who become housemates after each bought half of the same house. Demir is a successful architect who buys his childhood home, while Selin is a hardworking young woman who sees the house as her first property.

The series airs Mondays to Fridays at 08:30 from 12 April.

Hart van Goud's storyline focuses on Nehir, who uses her beauty to trick men into falling in love with her. Zehir is her accomplice. She pretends to be her mother, helps conceal her tracks, and ensures her victims are non-suspicious. Will their heinous plan get exposed?

The series airs Mondays to Thursdays at 23:00 from 17 April.

New Series Alert: New English/Afrikaans Dubbed Telenovela "Innocence" Debuts This April On SABC 3

After KykNET & Kie debuted a 2 hour timeslot for Turkish dramas as a rival offering to eExtra's Kuiertyd. The public broadcaster is next to join in the war of Istanbul with the addition of a new daily drama from the 1st April at 16:30 titled Innocence.

Synopsis for Innocence:

The life of Bahar, who leads an ordinary life, will change forever when her daughter becomes a victim of violence. On the night of February 24, a young girl is found who was thought to be dead. Ela Yüksel turned 19 that day. Her mother accuses businessman İlker Ilgaz. İlker is about to marry İrem. With the mother's accusations, İlker and Ela's forbidden love, the bloody truths of all three families will come to light.

Innocence (also known as Masumiyet) starred Hülya Avşar as Hale Ilgaz, Deniz Çakır as Bahar Yüksel, Mehmet Aslantuğ as Harun Orhun, İlayda Alişan as Ela Yüksel and Serkay Tütüncü as İlker Ilgaz. 

It premiered on 24 February 2021 and concluded on 24 May 2021 with a total of 13 episodes on NOW. Formerly known as FOX, the channel is home to shows such as Om Elke Draai (Her Yerde Sen), Dokter Ali (Mucize Doctor), Doodsondes (Yasak Elma).

The news of the channel's first ever Afrikaans dubbed telenovela comes after the public broadcaster had moved further Afrikaans shows to SABC 3. As they look to restructure SABC 3 as a multilingual brand as seen with sister networks SABC 1 and SABC 2.

“We are very excited to launch this slot, and we couldn’t have done it with more apt drama. The story in INNOCENCE is aligned to the times of our modern society as it explores the unfortunate realities of transactional relationships, fame/popularity, cyber bullying, and gender-based violence that plague our modern society. We have seen the staggering increase in popularity of Turkish drama the world over, and South Africa is no exception. We have selected the most recently produced and compelling drama titles to ensure our viewers will be highly entertained on a daily basis”- Sane Zondi, S3 Head of Channel.

Recap To The Week: BBC Prime Returning As A Programming Block On SABC 3 After TV Channel Was Shuttered On DStv And Other Parts Of The World In 2009

BBC Studios has revived the BBC Prime trademark after it shuttered in 2009. With the channel that was subsequently replaced by BBC Entertainment which had seen been divided between two channels, BBC First and BBC Brit.

Not long ago, it was reported by the company that they had forged a new content deal alongside the SABC. This would see the public broadcaster using one of their 3 free-to-air channels for archived material viewed from the BBC in a 2 hour block.

This block which will go into effect from 1st April featuring dramas like Luther and Cheaters alongside factual entertainment like Top Gear and Louis Theroux: Forbidden America. It will broadcast weeknights at 21:00 and stream on SABC+ in May.

BBC Prime was once a TV channel on the DStv platform for the premium market. The revived trademark will only serve as a 2 hour block giving 13 million homes in South Africa access to BBC Studios content. 

This comes a year after eMedia Investments had attempted to rollout long form version of BBC Prime to Openview. Since then, MultiChoice had snatched rights to the channel which currently resides within 13 million homes in Africa despite its unavailability on premium.

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."

Development Alert: BBC Studios Extends Its Reach To The Openview Platform With New Primetime Slot On SABC 3

After eMedia Investments and BBC Studios failed to launch BBC UKTV on Openview by 2022. MultiChoice eventually snatched the rights with BBC UKTV now reaching over 12 million households in Africa with the content set to enter more households.

SABC will soon broaden its lineup with the addition of a new two hour block on SABC 3, BBC Primetime. It will feature a selection of award-winning dramas, factual entertainment, and documentaries from the BBC Studios catalogue.

“The content block will include a range of shows including a psychological crime thriller starring Idris Elba, Luther, intense medical drama, Critical, gripping factual motoring show, Top Gear (season 14-17), and romantic comedy, Cheaters,” the broadcasters said.

“Documentary series Louis Theroux: Forbidden America, exploring three controversial corners of American entertainment and culture, will also be available to watch from launch.”

The programming will be available to watch on weeknights between 21:00 and 23:00 through BBC Primetime, broadcast on S3 and streamed on SABC+ from May 2024.

The broadcasters said BBC Primetime was hand-crafted by BBC Studios to offer S3 viewers access to globally recognised-content. This marks our first block for free-to-air audiences in South Africa, giving 13 million homes access to BBC Studios content. 

The offering will be BBC Studios’ widest-reaching branded service in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Saved Again: Netflix Acquires Rights To The 2019 Season Of The Bold And The Beautiful For Fans Across South Africa

Set in the glamorous world of Los Angeles, The Bold And The Beautiful focuses on the wealthy and powerful Forrester family. Its company, Forrester Creations, is the leader in the fashion industry. Add in the machinations of rival businesses and families, and you've got a classic set-up.

Produced by Bradley P. Bell through Bell-Phillip Television Productions, Inc, The Bold And The Beautiful debuted by March 23, 1987 on CBS.  So far at least 9000 episodes of the American soap with a new seasons being filmed for the 2024-2025 period.

It held the record for most watched in the soap in the world with its audience reach surpassing 26 million viewers. The American soap also holds won 77 Daytime Emmy Awards, including three for Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.

SABC 1 acquired rights to the American soap by the late 90s before moving to SABC 3 over 10 years after its launch due to low ratings. Around this time, SABC 3 was going through an identity crisis and the public broadcaster these two would align better.

Although The Bold And The Beautiful was able to pull a massive following in South Africa. It wasn't bringing in the revenue for the public broadcaster so much that by 2019 the show got axed with the only means to the soap EVA and Vodacom Video Play axed years later.

Following its departure from South Africa, several consumers pirated several episodes illegally through torrent sites while others had to make due with what's seen on their screen. As seen by several subscribers, Netflix has become the exclusive home to The Bold And The Beautiful. 

Netflix has held these rights since October 2023 for consumers in South Africa. After M-Net opted not to acquire the show when it exited SABC 3, the streamer added the first 100 episodes to the 2019 season which coincide with demises of EVA and Vodacom Video Play. 

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.

Recap To Last Month: SABC 3 Reaches 2 Million Households Becoming The Second Most Watched Channel By The Public Broadcaster By February 2024 Behind SABC 1

SABC 3 is a free-to-air channel operated by the public broadcaster catering to audiences with content in English and Afrikaans. It was also the least watched channel behind SABC 1 and SABC 2 this was before TAMS ratings from the last month had been revealed.

Thanks to AFCON, SABC 3 has managed to lure 2 million households after a decade on air surpassing SABC 2 where their most watched title Muvhango only lured just half of AFCON's figure.

Amidst reports of ratings decline for Deal Or No Deal SA and Skeem Saam, this is something should have been branding a "historical figure" from last month which it didn't. SABC 3 was only able to obtain 1.5 million viewers by 2014 versus 600,000 by 2024.

This goes to show the lack of attention the public broadcaster has for their brands. As seen below are the ratings figures and if you look carefully AFCON has more viewers on SABC 3 than any of the sports viewed on their most watched channel, SABC 1.

SABC 3 is operating on a loss and this figure would have helped lure in revenue. As to whether, the public broadcaster has caught on to this "historical figure" it has yet to be seen as this type of figures would have helped build the viewership for their other titles.

Openview Shorts: uBettina Wethu Cancelled On e.tv After 4 Seasons With New Episodes On eSeries, SABC 3 Adds Afrikaans News And Other Content To Its Line-up This March And Chrysalis To Return With A Season 2 This April On eExtra

uBettina Wethu moving to eSeries, Isiphethu and untitled drama in development

Last year, the public broadcaster decided to make budget cuts by cancelling 7de Laan after 23 years on air with uBettina Wethu that was revived on e.tv. Since its debut on e.tv, the fashion drama had to captivate audiences in both 18:30 and 20:30 timeslots.

Unlike Nikiwe, the show wasn't present in the channel's top 20 offering as seen with Scandal, House Of Zwide and Isitha: The Enemy. It wouldn't be shocking if season 4 were to be its last as repeats broadcast at 16:10.

As reported on social platforms, new episodes of uBettina Wethu season 4 will air on eSeries at 18:25 with repeats of eKasi: Our Stories on e.tv in that timeslot. The channel is said to be working on two local dramas one titled Isiphethu and the second is in Afrikaans.

SABC undergoing schedule changes

During the week, it was reported that SABC had cancelled FOKUS one of the few Afrikaans programs on SABC 2. As plans are underway to move further Afrikaans content like Voetspore and 50/50 to SABC 3 exclusively but the problem with that is the lack of viewers.

Vetkoekpaleis was only able to pull around 800,000 viewers on SABC 2 in December while SABC 3 is currently sitting with 400,000. Other than that, SABC hasn't been producing much content for this audience and such move could lead to surge in viewers for eExtra's Kuiertyd and kykNET.

From what we can confirm Nuus will be airing on SABC 3 at 20:30 from March 4th serving as the only weekday Afrikaans offering. 50/50 and Voetspore will serve as weekly offerings therefore maxing out the offering - details of a date and time have yet to be mentioned.

Chrysalis returns to eExtra

Ahead of the second and possible third and final season debut, eExtra's Kuiertyd will be adding its first drama series from the Czech Republic titled Soos Nag En Dag by March 4th. The series consists of 26 episodes giving Chrysalis an open window by April 9th in the same timeslot.

The drama followed Nalan who seems perfect from the outside, was being severely abused by her mother. Sedat, one of the richest men in Turkey, proposes to her. But her husband and family, who seem perfect from the outside, are not normal either.

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: An HD Feed To The Disney Channel Is Rumoured To Be In Development For DStv, Motor Mythbusters Make Their African Debut On Ignition TV And SABC 3 Scoops Up Doccie Series The Elon Musk Show Formerly Seen On M-Net

Disney Channel is going HD

For several years now, MultiChoice has managed to operate a number of premium channels in HD including M-Net, 1Magic, Discovery, TLC, MTV, Comedy Central and Food Network with Disney's bulk being the last to integrate with National Geographic moving over in 2021.

Now Disney Channel looks to join its sister channels and also rival brands Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon as MultiChoice appears to have begun work on an HD feed for the channel meaning Disney Junior will probably be the only Disney branded channel not in HD.

As mentioned, National Geographic and National Geographic Wild were integrated in 2021 while ESPN 1 and ESPN 2 were HD beforehand. Disney Junior not being in HD means that Cartoonito (formerly Boomerang) remains as the only preschool brand on DStv to integrate.

More Motor Trend for Ignition

If you're a major #petrolhead and enjoy the thrill of cracking myths then this show is definitely for you.

Motor Mythbusters follows a joyful search for truth behind popular automotive myths, to try to answer the biggest questions on every car fan's mind.

Be sure to tune in from 1st October at 20:00.

Elon Musk makes his free-to-air debut on SABC 3

The Elon Musk Show gets to the heart of who Elon Musk really is, by interviewing the people that know him best. Family members, employees, close friends and enemies tell the intimate story of Elon Musk’s incredible journey to become the world’s richest man.

Using extensive archive footage taken throughout his life, from South Africa to Silicon Valley, the series analyses the key moments in Elon’s career, from his first tech start-ups through to Tesla and SpaceX.

M-Net and Showmax picked up rights to the BBC docu-series back in December and after almost a year more consumers in South Africa can explore the story of the world's most richest man Elon Musk every Monday at 21:00 from 30th October just in time for halloween.

Discussion: Could SABC Look Into Closing A Few Channels??? As Plans Are Underway To Cut Back On Costs + 7de Laan Could Go Dark By Next Month Abruptly As SABC Is Cash Strapped

Could SABC look into reducing their portfolio?

During the week, it was learnt that 7de Laan would pause production and this was after SABC had been piling up its debt for the soon-to-be-axed Afrikaans drama. The public broadcaster not struggling to obtain income through load shedding and the reduction of analogue is looking to axe more content.

Not long ago, it was discovered that uBettina Wethu would be next victim. Unlike 7de Laan, uBettina Wethu has seen a decline in viewership that eMedia Investments was able to rescue the drama with a fourth season awaiting release on their linear platforms.

Another would be sporting rights in which the public broadcaster failed to obtain rights to the T-20 and also couldn't come to an agreement with SuperSport for the Rugby World Cup.

With the public broadcaster relying on peanuts to get on by at this point perhaps a restructure to their local portfolio is needed. For several decades, they had been producing content for SABC 1-3 while as supplying SABC Sport and Education perhaps a reduction to their local offering would do them good.

Instead of prioritising 3 channels, maybe the public broadcaster could put all their money on SABC 1 and use SABC+ to substitute the other two channels. SABC 1 remains as the most watched free-to-view channel in the market while the other had seen major declines.

The public broadcaster is anticipated to lose viewers once 7de Laan departs on SABC 2. Perhaps a merger between SABC 2 and SABC 3 would do them good. One thing I've seen from their competitors is the growth in dubs you barely get that much with the SABC.

I'm not saying SABC 2 would be exactly like Telemundo/Zee World but something similar to eXposed/eExtra which too has its lineup of international dramas with local elements such as Die Kontrak, SterStatus and Ouma Sarie all of which are folded under the Kuiertyd block.

SABC 3 despite not getting as much viewers as SABC 1 or 2 has more viewers than most of the public broadcaster's DTT offering such as SABC Education, SABC eKhaya and SABC News. Maybe the channel could serve as an Encore station for their past programming.

Another could be exploring a potential sell of their channels, the idea would be similar to Disney that the public broadcaster maintains majority stake and this other party manage the content with the public broadcaster in charge of marketing this content to consumers.

7de Laan is under hot water

As mentioned earlier, SABC had decided to axe the longest running Afrikaans soap on SABC 2 as they can't afford the expenses supplied to the production crew for further episodes. With the last episode initially set for December 26, 2023 the series is likely to go off air much earlier.

According to sources, the SABC only contracted Danie Odendaal Productions to produce 7de Laan episodes until 24 October, although plans were to keep the show running until 26 December as mentioned. The soap faces a chance of being cancelled by next month and not December as advised.

That is unless SABC doesn't find the necessary funds to keep the show on air and crew involved in production of the show were informed about this and had since then gone on to film other projects so should the SABC find something it would be impossible to film these episodes.

Leading to further speculation that the SABC may not get the remaining 45 episodes of the show but something far less than that if none at all. Ideally, 7de Laan could as well end with a two part feature film which broadcast for an hour or two and not the usual 21 minutes as seen with the finale of Showtime's Ray Donovan.

Recap To The Year: SABC Is Looking For Long-Form Dramas To Replace 7de Laan And Likely Cancelled The Estate And Possible Skeem Saam, Generations: The Legacy Or Uzalo

During the week, it was learnt by staff and crew that the SABC had cancelled 7de Laan after its 23 year run on SABC 2 with the last episode set to be broadcast on 26 December 2023. No reason was given for the cancellation but sources believe it could be financial constraints.

7de Laan was first broadcast on 4 April 2000 - initially with only one episode a week before it grew to five days a week - making household names of numerous actors and their characters who inhabited the fictional Hillside suburb in Johannesburg.

Created as a stand-in for the eclectic real-life Melville in Johannesburg, the show spawned roadshows and cookbooks over the past two decades as South Africans started quoting some of the characters' sayings, like Oubaas' malapropisms.

Lala Tuku, SABC head of content for video entertainment, says, "The SABC is proud to have worked with Danie Odendaal Productions and been part of the journey leading and producing the best Afrikaans soapie on local television for SABC 2. 7de Laan has penetrated the hearts of millions of South Africans.

"After more than two decades on air, the award-winning 7de Laan leaves a lasting imprint on the SA television landscape. SABC wishes all the dedicated and talented cast and crew of 7de Laan all the best in their future endeavours".

Few months ago, it was reported that The Estate another local program by the public broadcaster currently seen on SABC 3 would go on production break with sources believing it will be likely cancelled as they source out long form series for all three channels.

SABC 1 is looking for a youth oriented show likely under SABC Education and similar to MTV Shuga, Skeem Saam and Degrassi will focus on female characters, gay characters and disabled characters. If anything could it be possible that Skeem Saam and Uzalo will get the boot if not Generations: The Legacy.

Despite Uzalo and Skeem Saam garnering traction as seen with 7de Laan, the public broadcaster has been slow on commissions likely due to financial constraints. In 2021, Uzalo was renewed for another two years (through 2023) with Skeem Saam and Generations to be carried through 2024.

Another thing would be scheduling conflicts, with e.tv and Mzansi Magic ramping up a similar offering and also the existing Generations: The Legacy, Skeem Saam and Uzalo. This series wouldn't have much exposure so it would make sense to scrap one of three in order to make space for this series.

SABC 2 is looking for a new family drama centred around hope of course not much details is shared about the type of show except they're looking at concepts and ideas that broaden and celebrate the South African family in the context of home, society, and workplace. This could be the series that is set to replace 7de Laan but for all we know it cater to audiences of Muvhango.

SABC 3 is looking for high end drama series similar to Backstage or Isidingo might be replacing The Estate. The series should explore the impact of this seismic shift in society on the individual, the family, community, and institutions at large.

The teams are working tirelessly and diligently to finalise the process and provide feedback to all producers as soon as possible," says the SABC". The video entertainment team has already begun the pitching and look forward to engaging with more producers as the process unfolds.

SABC 3 Is Set To Undergo Changes Following The Possible Cancellation Of The Estate

SABC 3 has been going through viewership woes for almost a decade so this isn't surprising to most parties who are following the case. As to whether, The Estate is cancelled not sure but we don't anticipate that it will run longer than Muvhango or 7de Laan.

e.tv has axed most of their local dramas in a similar form to Mzansi Magic with Scandal remaining as their longest running soap on the channel. We assume The Estate will join the alley of Broken Vows and Isipho: The Gift series that will up and leave in a few years.

But considering this is SABC 3, maybe the public broadcaster should consolidate the content on SABC 1 & 2 to help boost the viewership. It's not like the channel is not profitable at the moment.

As for The Estate, if the plan is to keep it alive then the public broadcaster should get their affairs in order - ASAP. Considering that the show will undergo a never ending hiatus some of the crew will likely pursue other projects leaving less of an estate to work with.

The public broadcaster eyes load shedding and analogue for the halt of The Estate. We can only assume that more never ending changes are coming to SABC 3 perhaps they'll turn it into an SABC Encore type channel if not align it with SABC+.

Warner Bros. Discovery had halt original programming for TNT and TBS and have since then used both outlets to promote MAX and Discovery+ as well as licence content from various studios. It wouldn't seem far fetched if SABC 3 went through something similar.

Of course, most of SABC+ is basically another DStv Catch-Up which brings up my first point SABC Encore and just like the streamer they do licence content although not doing well viewership wise I mean premieres like Black Panther couldn't get a million views.

Press release from the affected party about The Estate:

The Estate, which debuted on S3 in 2021 tackling issues relating to land, politics, and the crisis of governance, keeping the viewers intrigued for three seasons regrettably comes to a season wrap.

The television drama series 'The Estate' will take a hiatus at the end of its third season, at the end of July 2023.

In line with the SABC’s content offering strategy of telling compelling and nuanced South African stories, the quality of production and storytelling on The Estate has been appreciated by South Africans audiences and the industry alike, with the show winning various awards including The Royalty Soapie Awards for The Outstanding Supporting Actor, Outstanding Lead Actor, Outstanding Wardrobe and Outstanding Writing Team amongst others.

Key market changes such as the impact of the analogue switch and loadshedding has forced a review on the channel’s strategy.

In addition, The Estate will be put on hold whilst it reviews its offering. This exercise is aimed at enabling the S3 to better compete within the environment.

Produced by Clive Morris Productions, The Estate will be in production until June 2023. S3 extends its gratitude to the producer, cast and crew of The Estate for a world class and award-winning production, and thanks the viewers for their support.

“It has been an immense privilege to work with the SABC in producing The Estate over the last three seasons.

"We are extremely grateful to our national broadcaster for the bravery and courage they have demonstrated in affording us the opportunity to tell authentic, hard hitting, and ground-breaking stories, which reflect the South Africa we live in today.

"Thank you to our incredible crew and cast for their unparalleled talent and commitment and most of all thank you to you the viewers who have walked the journey with us over the last two years.
"We look forward to sharing the next chapter of The Estate with the nation after our production hiatus.” – Khayelihle Dom Gumede, Chief Operating Officer, Clive Morris Productions.

Meanwhile, viewers can continue to enjoy the remaining episodes of season 3 as the storyline reaches a thrilling climax in July 2023.

Important Notice: Muvhango Rebroadcasts Stop Airing On SABC 1, To Be Replaced By The Estate

During the month, SABC 2 became the first channel which saw an adjustment to their daytime offering which included the axing of daytime rebroadcasts of Skeem Saam and Generations: The Legacy as the public broadcaster is looking to restructure rebroadcasts.

Interesting to note, 7de Laan was silently removed from the daytime schedule of SABC 3 but Generations: The Legacy remains onboard. No clue if that will be phased out in the process considering the upcoming schedule adjustment awaiting viewers on SABC 1.

Unlike SABC 2, the only adjustment coming to SABC 1 is for the daytime repeat of Muvhango. From the 1st of May, rebroadcasts of SABC 3's The Estate will replace Muvhango when the public broadcaster clearly stated these content would be seen on their respective brand.

Similar to SABC eKhaya's failed launch in April, could it be possible that the public broadcaster got cold feet on the idea of scrapping all these repeats so they're just opting to minimise the offering which include explain the induction of The Estate and demise of Muvhango.

There's chances that The Estate is just a placeholder for another show but why replace Muvhango with another repeat if plans were underway to get another program onboard it would make more sense to keep the current show onboard.

If I had to guess The Estate was brought back due to low viewership for which Muvhango had no trouble with while broadcasting on SABC 2 as it remains the channel's most watched show and who can blame the public broadcaster for going back on their word.

When rebroadcasts of The Estate rolled out on the channel in 2021 it managed to pull close to 2 million households and became the top 10 show on SABC 1. If anything, SABC 1 helped consumers express a bit of interest in SABC 3 especially with the star attraction.

SABC 1-3, e.tv And DStv TV Ratings For April 2023

SABC 1

Notes:
- Deal Or No Deal and Zahara: As I Rise are currently sitting in the top 20.
- Uzalo rebroadcasts occupy the top 10 section of the channel.
- News occupies the top 5 section of the channel.

SABC 2

Notes:
- 7de Laan rebroadcasts debut in the Top 20.
- The Estate rebroadcasts debut in the Top 10.
- Monk debuts in the Top 20.

SABC 3

Notes:
- Sports occupies the top 10 section of the channel including top spot.
- The Estate rebroadcasts are currently the top 10 section of the channel.
- The Great Elephant Tale is the only documentary charting in March.

e.tv

Notes:
- Durban Gen dethroned by eVOD original Abafana Ababi and repeats like Mr. Bones.
- eKasi: Our Stories debuts in the top 20.
- The Goldbergs reenters the top 20.

DStv

Notes:
- Moja Love occupies the top 10 section.
- Big Brother Titans: Daily Shows debut in the top 30.
- Mzansi Bioskop is the only brand sitting outside the top 10.

Recap To The Decade: SABC Looking To Launch A Second Sports Channel And Reduce Sports Offering On SABC 1-3

eMedia Investments in partnership with the public broadcaster expanded their agreement in 2021 to include more content from the SABC on the Openview platform. SABC Sport serves as the only additional channel currently ranks as the top 10 watched channels.

Amidst that success, SABC had suggested the idea of launching a second sports channel which too would carry it's own content. As of this moment, it only remains a dream but considering they're launching another news channel - anything goes at this point.

From what was mentioned decades ago by the public broadcaster when implementing DTT. The idea for SABC Sport was not only to give consumers a strong competitor to SuperSport but to also lessen the blows of SABC 1-3's primetime offering.

In a briefing, they blamed the government's failed attempts at eradicating analogue signals that the SABC had to stay behind while eMedia Investments launched their own DTT platform which currently serves 3 million households in South Africa.

SuperSport limits some of their sporting rights to DStv, SABC's DTT and SABC+ thus causing some conflict amongst SABC 1-3 with the current SABC Sport channel as they have to exclude certain programs in order to cater for the consumers who can view them.

Analogue TV is said to be phased out in the coming future not putting my hopes on March 2023 and the public broadcaster will be undergoing even more changes particularly with SABC 1-3 which will have their primary shows airing on their respective brands.

Sports in this case hasn't been discussed in terms of phasing out I mean it's still in talks but no timeframe was given which kind of begs the question as to what happens the day SABC 1-3 limit the access.

Several DStv particularly Access and Easyview alongside StarSat rely on these channels and not much alternatives are available. As for Openview, SABC Sport is a wreck on top of limited alternatives there's repeats hovered inbetween.

Getting back to the topic of the second sports channel, is it possible they'll use this channel perhaps to remove the burden of primetime on SABC 1-3 and seeing as SuperSport controls part of their lineup. What if this sports channel didn't cater to the likes of Openview.

Major Development Alert (Not April Fools): Takalani Sesame + uBettina Wethu + Housewives + Nikiwe + Ebumnyameni (RUMOUR) Coming Soon To e.tv

In 2021, SABC and eMedia Investments expanded their partnership to include SABC's 19 radio stations and the addition of SABC Sport which currently serves as the top 10 channels on Openview. It's clear now that the red brand had more up their sleeves aside from channels.

As noted, eMedia Investments on top of serving as an arch rival to the SABC will also be distributing selected content from the public broadcaster, Takalani Sesame and uBettina Wethu. They've been doing that with M-Net but it's more shocking in these circumstances.

Out of all shows, why did it have to be uBettina Wethu which is currently on SABC 1 with the channel set to rebroadcast the first season as if consumers haven't seen it already. Takalani Sesame is still present on SABC why play second fiddle to competition.

Most of the channel is local at this point and these shows are probably one way to improve the local quota particularly on the kiddies section following the demise of Craze's local youth offering Shiz Niz, Sistahood, Craze World Live and Frenzy.

uBettina Wethu follows the story of a naïve rural girl who gets a job working for one of Johannesburg's most eligible bachelors. As mentioned, SABC is currently on its third season with e.tv serving as the SABC Encore of the SABC with a first season.

Takalani Sesame is an educational show for preschoolers or local version of Sesame Street where viewers can learn about words, numbers and embrace their creative spirit. It features muppet based characters such as Neno, Grover, Kupukeji, Moshe, Zikwe, and Zuzu.

Both shows make their highly anticipated premiere on Monday 10 April. Isono is ending next month so uBettina Wethu takes up it's timeslot 20:30 while Takalani Sesame comes up 6 hours early being 14:30.

In other developments, Housewives is set to a make a comeback weekly at 10pm after its sudden disappearance from the short-lived Sunday Night Series slot. Nikiwe is set to replace Durban Gen later in the month.

As for Imbewu, I'm told that a new show possibly titled Ebumnyameni will replace the telenovela later in that month as well - nothing is confirmed as yet. Of course, this could be the project starring Zuko Nodada as she's filming an unknown project for the brand.