Viewers select the worst South Africans soapies

We take a look at the worst South African soapies and telenovelas from Durban Gen, DiepCity, Muvhango to The Queen as selected by viewers.  

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‘THE QUEEN’ CANCELLED

Muvhango is the only soapie on this list which is not cancelled like The Queen, DiepCity and Durban which will end in 2023.

The Queen which is produced by Ferguson Films will not be renewed for another season and will come to an end in January 2023.   

The news didn’t come as a shock to #TheQueenMzansi on Twitter who have been unimpressed with actors, dragging storylines, etc.  

Viewers began to lose interest in season six when the telenovela’s favourite actress Jessica Nkosi, who played Thando Sebata disappeared without a trace.   

Tweeps gushed over Jessica’s stellar performance and were disappointed when production introduced a new family, the Jamas at the beginning of season seven.

According to TVSA primetime viewing figures, the telenovela lost 400k viewers between September 2021 (1million) to September 2022 (661k).  

@Marcosefling:   

“Thank God it’s the final season of this trash show. Brutus is the only reason people watch this show and the only reason the show has kept going. He’s the show’s main character.”   

@UnknownT890:   

“The writers are very shameless to just completely ignore what happened to Thando, have her husband not even ask of her, and Cebo acts like he didn’t see her and shoots her. I mean what kind of rubbish is this show mara?”    

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‘MUVHANGO’ LOSES ACTORS AND VIEWERS  

SABC2’s long-running soapie Muvhango lost three fan-favourite actors MacdDonald Ndou, Elsie Rasalanavho, and Sydney Ramakuwela between 2021 and 2022 and lost two million viewers between December 2021 and August 2022.   

Viewers of the show have taken to social media to complain about the soapie constantly introducing new characters/actors, and uninteresting storylines among many things.   

Fans were also devastated when actress Elsie Rasalanavho, who played the role of Vho-Mukondeleli Mukwevho for 25 years exited the show in June.   

Sources from Muvhango production revealed to Daily Sun that actors MacDonald Ndou and Sydney Ramakuwela who played the roles of KK Mulaudzi and Mulalo Mukwevho for more than a decade were fired from the soapie.      

“Cast members were shocked to find out that those two wouldn’t be returning to the show. This is because even though we don’t know what happened, some actors like Mukondeleli (Elsie Rasalanavho) were given contracts that would last half the new season. But clearly, their issue was big because they didn’t even get that chance.”     

TVSA reports that the soapie earned 3.67 million viewership in December 2021, 3.9 million viewership in January 2022 when KK and Mulalo were still part of the soapie.  

The soapie dropped to 1.72 million viewers in July after the departure of Mukondeleli’s character and it dropped to a further 1.58 million viewers in August.    

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‘DURBAN GEN’ CANCELLED

E.tv fans were not surprised when entertainment commentator Phil Mphela announced in May that the Stained Glass TV medical drama Durban Gen is cancelled.   

Viewers previously complained about the storylines, and lack of medical research in the show, which was considered Mzansi’s version of Grey’s Anatomy.   

However, things went south when the show reportedly lost 300 000 viewers by January 2021.  

With the telenovela on life support less than six months into its first season, its top actors started leaving – making it that much harder to resuscitate it.  

The Wife actor Thulane Shange, who played the role of Doctor Mandla Ngcobo was reportedly fired, followed by Sifiso Sibiya who played Bab’ Gumede.  

Viewers also bid farewell to Dr Ndabezinhle Luthili played by Lerato Nxumalo, who joined Lingashoni, followed by actress Monica Thuli Zulu’s character, MaCele was killed in June.  

Daily Sun also reported this week that fan-favourite actors Mike Ndlangamandla who played Dr Lindelani, Duduzile Ngcobo who played Superintendent Qwabe, and Zimdollar Biyela who played Matron Nkabinde will not be part of the final season which began to air in October.    

The publication added that the show will be played on e.tv until March/April and that the telenovela is showing the lives of the hospital characters five years later.    

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‘DIEPCITY’ CANCELLED

Mzansi Magic fans were not surprised when entertainment commentator Phil Mphela announced that Black Brain Pictures has announced that their popular telenovela DiepCity which aired on Mzansi Magic for two years is cancelled.  

Soapie viewers took to social media to call for isibaya’s return after entertainment commentator Phil Mphela confirmed that DiepCity is ending after two seasons.    

The Black Brain Pictures’ telenovela will reportedly end in March 2023 after replacing Isibaya.   

Nomsa Pholiso, M-Net’s channel director for local entertainment channels, confirmed in a Daily Sun interview in 2020 that the show is ending and expressed her appreciation for the much-loved telenovela, which ended after seven seasons.   

“It’s always sad when a show that was popular and loved ends, as is the case with Isibaya. However, times change, and television is about adopting and adapting.”    

The telenovela didn’t have a great year in 2020. With bad ratings, speculation about taking the show off-air had already begun.   

The cancelled telenovela, which was a hit in the first season and received nine nominations at this year’s South African Film and Television Awards (SAFTAs) lost viewers in season two when storylines appeared ‘muddy’.    

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