The All Media and Products Survey (AMPS) 2007B, the results of which were released by the South African Advertising Research Foundation (Saarf) this week, found significant increases in television viewership and internet usage compared with the previous release, AMPS 2007A.
A significant increase in newspaper readership, a general increase in magazine readership and a significant increase in radio listenership (Yesterday listenership specifically) were also found.
Outdoor (billboard and store ads) and cinema showed no significant growth.
The AMPS 2007B data was collected during the period February to November 2007. The results were embargoed until Thursday (13 March).
Consumption highlights
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Television
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On the TV front, the proportion of South Africans 16 year and older who watched television the day before (Yesterday viewership), has climbed from 70.5% to 73.7%. Significant growth was found in KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Gauteng.
Viewership is also up across any given week, from 81.4% to 83.4%, particularly in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng.
“Television has become a way of life. Everyone watches TV now. We also need to remember that there have been a lot of sporting events in this period that may have contributed to the rise in TV viewership,” comments Trish Guilford, Associate Media Director of The MediaShop.
Guilford says increased TV and internet consumption could also be linked to the fact that people are more likely to stay at home because they do not have disposable income to spend on going out.
The growth in television viewership comes in the wake of an increase in the percentage of households with television sets – from 77.4% to 80.1%, especially in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, Limpopo and Gauteng.
align=justifyThe increase in TV viewership was reflected across various channels:
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SABC1 viewership grew from 70.2% to 71.6%. An increase from 58.3% to 60.7% was recorded for SABC2 and SABC 3’s penetration increased from 44.9% to 47.8%.
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E.tv’s viewership increased from 58.4% to 59.7%, with particular growth in the Western Cape.
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The DStv audience has seen significant growth in Gauteng, with the overall growth at 9.7%, from 8.3% of adults. M-Net has experienced a decrease (from 9.4% to 7.3%) which could, according to the researchers, be attributed to the “exclusion of open time from AMPS 2007B”.
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Internet
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Internet usage has risen significantly in Gauteng, with the total (Past 7 Days) usage increasing from 6% of adults 16 years and older to 6.9%. The Past 4 Weeks usage also rose from 7.1% to 8.1%, with growth mostly in Gauteng.
“There is a broad attitude that internet is becoming increasingly important, thus, more people are getting connected and going online. We are still behind in terms of the rest of the world, but I suspect that this will soon change,” says Guilford.
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Newspaper readership has increased significantly in Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.
Overall, penetration has increased from 44.4% to 46.8% (see correction) . Newspapers have gained 747,000 readers, bringing them to a total of 14.572-million readers.
align=justifyMagazine readership has increased from 37.5% of the adult population to 39.3%. A total of 12.239-million adults consume magazines.
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Radio
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Yesterday listenership increased significantly from 81.1% to 82.2%. The total (Past 7 Days) listenership is at 29.081-million.
Gagasi 99.5 FM, Kaya 95.9 FM and Talk Radio 702 have grown their listenership.
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Mobile
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Six out of ten South African adults now have access to a cellphone.
The previous survey showed that 56.3% had mobiles, which has since increased by 7.5%, particularly in the Free State and Northern Cape.
■Correction: In the original article, it was stated newspaper penetration had increased from 44.6% to 46%. It should be: 44.4% to 46.8%.
