The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) has released new audience research showing that South Africans remain highly engaged with audiovisual content, but structural barriers – not a lack of audience interest – are limiting the growth of the country’s film and television industry.
Commissioned in 2026, the nationwide study provides updated insights into how audiences access, consume and value film, television, streaming services and online video. It concludes that the sector’s biggest challenge is the growing misalignment between traditional production and distribution models and the realities of an increasingly digital, platform-driven and cost-conscious viewing environment.
The findings are expected to inform future industry policy, funding priorities and strategies aimed at improving the reach, discoverability and commercial performance of South African content.
The study’s key findings are summarised in the report as follows:
1) South Africa is a High-Engagement, Structurally Constrained Viewing Market
South Africans are highly engaged with audiovisual content, but their behaviour is shaped by structural constraints rather than pure preference. Audiences are active, selective, and increasingly quality-conscious, but operate within conditions defined by affordability, connectivity, device access, and platform availability. Viewing is not concentrated in a single platform. Instead, it is distributed across a hybrid ecosystem, where:
- Free-to-air television remains the primary mass-reach platform,
- Streaming and online video are growing rapidly but unevenly
o Emerging short-form and micro-drama platforms are beginning to form a distinct additional layer within this ecosystem, capturing incremental viewing time rather than replacing traditional or mainstream platforms, and
- Cinema has shifted to an occasional, experience-led channel rather than routine viewing.
This confirms that the central issue is not whether audiences watch content, but how access conditions determine where, how often, and at what cost they watch.
2) Platform Behaviour is Hybrid, Not Linear
South African audiences do not transition from one platform to another in a linear way. Instead, they operate within a layered system where platforms serve different roles:
- Broadcast television anchors reach and affordability,
- Streaming platforms provide flexibility and depth where connectivity allows,
- Online video (short-form) dominates daily engagement, particularly among younger audiences, and
- Cinema functions as a premium, social, event-driven experience.
This hybrid model reflects a structurally unequal environment, where digital growth complements rather than replaces traditional media.
3) Digital Adoption is Conditional and Affordability-Led
While internet access is widespread, it is predominantly mobile-based, data-sensitive, and intermittent. As a result:
- Streaming is often selective rather than continuous,
- Data costs significantly constrain long-form viewing,
- Households rely on shared access, subscription cycling, and ad-supported models.
This means that “digital access” does not equate to full participation in streaming ecosystems. Instead, affordability is the primary determinant of depth of engagement, shaping both consumption frequency and willingness to pay.
4) Local Content Demand Exists, but Conversion is Weak
South African content is not rejected by audiences. On the contrary:
- Audiences recognise its cultural relevance and relatability,
- There is broad willingness to engage with local stories, and
- Many believe local content can compete with international content. However, competitiveness remains conditional, due to:
* Lower perceived production polish,
* Weaker marketing visibility,
* Limited discoverability on platforms, and
* Friction in access pathways.
The key gap is therefore not demand, but conversion, that is, the ability to translate interest into actual viewing and monetisation.
5) Discovery is Social, Immediate, and Platform-Driven
Content discovery has shifted decisively toward:
- Social media platforms,
- Peer recommendation,
- Short-form video, and
- Algorithm-driven exposure.
Traditional drivers such as critics, awards, and formal promotion have declined in influence. However, discovery alone is insufficient. Viewing occurs only when access is simple, affordable, and clearly communicated. This creates a structural disconnect where local content may generate awareness but fail to convert into sustained viewing due to access friction.
6) Distribution is Multi-Channel, with Diverging Roles
The study confirms that no single distribution channel can deliver scale. Instead, viability lies in a portfolio approach, where each platform plays a distinct role:
- Broadcast television: Most reliable for mass reach and cultural visibility
- OTT/streaming and online video: Strongest growth pathway, but affordability-constrained
- Pay-TV: Viable through hybridisation and premium content
- Cinema: Selective, event-based, and not a primary revenue driver for local films Future competitiveness will depend on how effectively these channels are integrated and aligned to audience realities, rather than treated as standalone pathways.
7) Structural Barriers are the Primary Constraint
Several binding constraints affecting audience participation and market performance:
- High data costs and affordability limitation
- Uneven broadband access and reliance on mobile connectivity
- Weak discoverability and fragmented marketing of local content
- Geographic limitations affecting cinema access
- Subscription fatigue and price sensitivity
Importantly, these barriers affect both what audiences can watch and whether they can pay for it, reinforcing the need for system-level interventions.
8) Production Pipeline Stability is Critical to Market Outcomes
A key systemic risk identified is the instability of the production pipeline, particularly linked to incentive delays and policy uncertainty. The study finds that:
- Inconsistent content supply weakens platform planning and audience habits,
- Irregular release schedules reduce visibility and engagement, and
- International content fills gaps when local supply is disrupted.
This highlights that distribution viability and audience development depend fundamentally on production continuity, making policy stability a critical enabler of competitiveness.
Several high-impact strategic priorities are suggested in the report including:
1) Adopt affordability-led distribution models (bundled data, AVOD, mobile-first pricing, download-to-watch)
2) Reorient marketing toward social-first discovery and conversion (short-form content, influencers, clear “where-to-watch” pathways)
3) Strengthen broadcast as a mass-reach foundation while integrating digital extensions
4) Scale multilingual access (subtitles and dubbing) to expand cross-market reach
5) Stabilise the production incentive framework to ensure consistent content supply
6) Embed audience intelligence into content development to improve market fit and competitiveness
7) Institutionalise continuous audience measurement to support responsive, data-driven decision-making
8) Integrate emerging and short-form platforms into distribution strategy (including pilot funding, format innovation, and platform partnerships)
9) Support content format diversification (short-form, episodic, mobile-first storytelling alongside traditional formats)
10) Treat free online video and emerging ecosystems as audience development pipelines, not secondary channels
Download the full report here.