PAW Patrol to premiere in isiZulu on Nickelodeon                   

Entertainment brand Nickelodeon announced earlier this week that the animated preschool series, PAW Patrol will be airing in isiZulu from 18 March at 3pm on NickToons (DStv channel 308).

Following the immense success of the SpongeBob SquarePants: isiZulu series last year, which garnered 2,602,520 unique viewers and attracted 909,000 new viewers who were not previously tuned in to NickToons, Nickelodeon says they are enthusiastic about extending this linguistic inclusivity to more of their cherished content.

The decision to dub PAW Patrol into isiZulu aligns with research findings, such as the investigation study by Marian and Shook (2012), which suggests that bilingual advantages in improving a set of mental skills known as executive functions which contribute to cognitive and sensory processing improvements. Learning a new language positively influences brain development, particularly in memory, speech, sensory processing, and contributes to a child’s self-esteem.

“TV shows shape our view of the world. The things we see and hear on TV don’t just start and stop there; they influence us, shape our perceptions of ourselves and others in the world around us. That’s why we feel projects like this are so important. They allow our kids to feel seen and heard and they offer a wonderful, fun and engaging learning opportunity for those who do not yet speak isiZulu,” said Dillon Khan, VP of Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Studios & Creative Services (Africa).

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PAW Patrol Live shows in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal

This announcement marks the beginning of a PAWsome adventure, leading up to the PAW Patrol Live shows in June across Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.

Parents of PAW Patrol fans can head to Nickelodeon Africa’s Instagram page, @Nickelodeon_Africa, to enter their kids for a chance to win PAW Live tickets.