Actor Vusi Kunene’s new daily drama House of Zwide has exploded into prime time television by pulling an impressive 4.24m viewers with its premiere episode on July 19.
According to the latest data by the Broadcast Research Council of SA, the soapie, also starring Winnie Ntshaba and Motlatsi Mafatshe, has upset Leleti Khumalo’s Imbewu (3.89m) to become the second most-watched show on e.tv.
Scandal!, airing 30 minutes after House of Zwide, retained its spot as the number one most-watched programme on the channel with a viewership of 5.23m.
House of Zwide replaced Rhythm City, which was canned after 13 years.
The final episode of Rhythm City on July 16 failed to draw the show’s best ratings. It’s the episode that broadcast on July 8 that registered viewership of 3.66m to make it the fifth most-watched on the channel.
“This means that our characters are relatable and storylines are relevant and compelling to keep our viewers intrigued to come and watch every night,” House of Zwide executive producer Tebogo Nkwana told Sowetan yesterday.
“It takes a lot of communication touch-points and an incredible creative writing team that fully understands the South African landscape and what resonates with the viewers who live these lives every day.
“Content is always king and we plan to continuously collaborate with the storytellers who always dig deep to find those special stories that are familiar with our audiences.”
During the month, Mzansi couldn’t get enough of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s various “family meetings” on rampant looting and the country’s response to Covid-19.
Ramaphosa’s address on July 25, when he lifted the alcohol ban and moved the country to adjusted alert level 3, was unsurprisingly top-rated for SABC2 with 5.85m viewers tuning in.
As a result, Muvhango dropped to number two with viewership of 4.36m.
Ramaphosa’s address on security measures following violent outbreaks of looting in parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng on July 16 (4.17m) landed in third place, while his speech on July 12 (3.7m) when the looting started positioned in fifth place.
The president’s address on July 11 (3.19m) also landed in seventh place on e.tv.
On pay broadcaster DStv, Gomora is still sitting comfortably on top as the most-watched show with a 1.62m audience.
The Queen has reclaimed its throne as DStv’s second most-watched with 1.3m after losing the spot in June, while Uyajola 9/9 dropped to third spot with 1.21m viewers.
Uzalo (7.77m) on SABC1 remains the country’s most-watched show, followed by Generations: The Legacy (6.4m) and Skeem Saam (5.91m).
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.