Soapie fans angered by winding down of ‘7de Laan’ and ‘Muvhango’

Fans of SABC2 soapies 7de Laan and Muvhango will be sad to hear that their favourite soapies will be airing less frequently.

This comes after rumours that the shows may be cancelled altogether.

The channel has justified this by explaining that it will be looking to diversify its drama offering.

To fill the vacuum created by these shows, the channel will introduce two new shows; one called Die Sentrum which will begin on 8 April 2021.

As such, 7de Laan will now air three times a week – Mondays to Wednesdays at 6pm, from 5 April 2021 onwards.

According to Broadcast Research Council of South Africa (BRCSA) viewership statistics from December 2020, 7de Laan was SABC2’s sixth most popular programme with 1.44 million viewers.

The same change will be applied to Muvhango when season two of Giyani: Land of Blood premieres in a new 9pm time slot on Thursdays and Fridays. This change will be applied from August 2021.

Muvhango will be suffering the same fate as 7de Laan despite being SABC2’s most-watched show, according to viewership statistics from December 2020, which cite 3.69 million viewers.

“The acquisition of this new local production is part of our long-term plan to invest in quality local content.

“Serving a diverse South African audience, it is imperative that we come with innovative and exciting content, which will not only draw the viewership but bring in the revenue required to keep the public service broadcaster financially sustainable,” said Merlin Naicker, group executive for television at the SABC.

Fans took social media to share their feelings regarding the news.

For months, fans have been anxious that the shows would be following in the footsteps of shows like SABC3 soapie Isidingo, Mzansi Magic’s Isibaya and e.tv’s Rhythm City which were all canned after years on air despite their popularity.

READ NEXT: No, ‘Muvhango’ is not coming to an end

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