‘Skeem Saam’ Drama Pulls 4.3 Million Viewers, Ratings Impress Mzansi: “They Deserve a Raise”

Rachel Harper2 weeks ago

86 1 minute read

“Skeem Saam’s Dramatic Episodes Skyrocket Viewership to 4.3 Million – Fans Demand Salary Increases for Cast”

The hit SABC1 soapie Skeem Saam has seen a dramatic surge in viewership, with its latest episodes captivating over 4.3 million South African viewers on Friday, 16 May. Fans are raving about the show’s gripping storyline, particularly the explosive drama between Mapitsi (Mogau Motlhatswi) and Tbose (Hungani Ndlovu), and some are even calling for the actors to get a well-deserved salary bump.

‘Skeem Saam’s 4.3 million viewership had Mzansi raving. Image: Skeem Saam Source: Instagram

Why the Sudden Spike?

Entertainment commentator Phil Mphela reported that the show’s median ratings hit 3.7 million last week before peaking at 4.3 million during Friday’s must-watch episode. The shocking reveal of Mapitsi’s affair with Thomas, aired live in Turfloop, left viewers on the edge of their seats.

Mphela predicts numbers will climb even higher as the season finale (27 June) approaches, especially with the highly anticipated return of Rachel Kunutu (Lesego Marakalla) in the next season.

Skeem Saam Dominates SABC+

The show isn’t just a TV hit—it’s also the #1 most-watched series on SABC+, pulling in 1 million weekly streams. With such success, fans are debating whether competing shows like Scandal! and Generations can keep up.

TV:

Skeem Saam ratings

This past week's drama driven by the Mapitsi storyline pulled some decent numbers for the show.

The week's median ratings pull was around 3,7-million viewers, peaking with the fiery episode on Friday which pulled around 4,3-million.

The numbers will… pic.twitter.com/z1aME18p37
— Kgopolo (@PhilMphela) May 20, 2025

Mzansi Reacts

Viewers took to X (Twitter) to celebrate Skeem Saam’s success:

@OdwaSeti joked: “Generations must swap timeslots with Skeem Saam!”
@Ash_leyBBMzansi: “They better increase the actors’ salaries!”
@uKilla_K: “Scandal! can’t compete anymore.”
@FlakeyWhistle96: “If it were still at 18:30, it’d be pulling 5 million!”

New Cast Addition: Howza Joins the Drama

In another exciting update, Scandal! star Tshepo ‘Howza’ Mosese has joined Skeem Saam as Ghost, a character linked to Rachel Kunutu’s return.

With ratings soaring, Skeem Saam proves it’s still the king of South African soapies. Catch it weekdays on SABC1 at 19:30.

Source: Briefly News