These are the primetime adult television viewing figures for December 2023.
If you can't see the listing below, then click this link to access them in a document instead:
Top Shows on TV: December 2023
Special notes
Viewers were subjected to loadshedding ranging from Stage 0 to Stage 4, with extended periods of time with no blackouts.
This relief was reflected in the month's viewership figures, with a notable increase across various shows and broadcasters.
Viewership typically decreases from November to December with the distractions of the festive season, but it was the other way round this year.
Here's a look at noteworthy surges... SABC1's happened on 28 December:
| Show |
November 2023 |
December 2023 |
Increase |
| Uzalo |
5,253,600 |
5,832,879 |
579,279 |
| Generations: The Legacy |
4,161,429 |
4,782,188 |
620,759 |
| Skeem Saam |
3,735,612 |
4,644,644 |
909,032 |
| Muvhango |
1,288,062 |
1,567,521 |
279,459 |
| Isitha: The Enemy |
3,559,445 |
4,215,091 |
655,646 |
| Smoke and Mirrors |
2,983,994 |
3,320,260 |
336,266 |
| Umkhokha: The Curse |
896,515 |
1,076,795 |
180,280 |
| Gqeberha: The Empire |
829,256 |
936,193 |
106,937 |
| Uyajola 9/9 |
736,067 |
922,274 |
186,207 |
| My Brother's Keeper |
667,817 |
909,050 |
241,233 |
| Sibongile & the Dlaminis |
593,472 |
803,080 |
209,608 |
The same didn't happen with 7de Laan for its series finale.
It attracted 901,668 viewers for its most watched episode in November, with a 9.9% audience share, and ended with 874,822 viewers on Tuesday 26 December, with an audience share of 9.
If you can't see the documents above, here's an overview of the Top 5 shows per channel/broadcaster:
SABC1
| Show |
Viewers |
| Uzalo |
5,832,879 |
| Generations: The Legacy |
4,782,188 |
| Skeem Saam |
4,644,644 |
| Xhosa News |
2,599,868 |
| Zulu News |
2,441,275 |
SABC2
| Show |
Viewers |
| Muvhango |
1,567,521 |
| 7De Laan |
874,822 |
| Mokgonyana Mmatswale |
762,072 |
| Ses/Tsw/Sep News |
613,292 |
| Vetkoek Paleis |
608,320 |
SABC3
| Show |
Viewers |
| The Fifth Element |
436,548 |
| Premier League Tottenham Hotspur vs Ever |
432,064 |
| Premier League Arsenal vs Wolves |
395,347 |
| Premier League Manchester City vs Sheffi |
380,653 |
| A Time to Kill |
357,662 |
e.tv
| Show |
Viewers |
| Scandal |
4,825,095 |
| House of Zwide |
4,443,335 |
| Isitha - the Enemy |
4,215,091 |
| Smoke and Mirrors |
3,320,260 |
| The Powerball Draw |
2,615,328 |
DStv
| Show |
Viewers |
| Umkhokha:the Curse |
1,076,795 |
| Gqeberha: the Empire |
936,193 |
| Uyajola 9/9 |
922,274 |
| My Brother's Keeper |
909,050 |
| X-Repo |
863,866 |
Please note: these ratings don't include viewership from DStv Catch Up, YouTube, Viu, eVOD or SABC+. They only reflect the viewership of people who watched on the day, at the time of broadcast.
For an explanation of the TAMS, please see:
The TAMS Ratings Explained.