South Africa overhauls TV measurement with GfK multi-screen platform

The transition to TVM represents a critical update to South Africa’s advertising infrastructure, shifting from a legacy linear model to one that captures the rapid growth of connected TV and mobile streaming. For the first time, local broadcasters and agencies will have a single view of reach and frequency across disparate platforms, exposing current inefficiencies where brands over-invest in high-frequency linear segments. This shift levels the playing field for digital platforms like YouTube, which now reaches 25 million monthly users in the territory. Watch for the 2027 launch of the new daily currency as the primary signal for agencies to recalibrate mixed-media budget allocations.

The measurement overhaul follows a period of intense consolidation and shifting dominance in the South African media landscape. Most notably, French media giant Canal+ completed its $2.9 billion acquisition of MultiChoice in late 2025, taking controlling interest of its prize assets, DStv and Showmax. Per reports from ITWeb and Reuters in mid-2026, the merged entity has since pivoted to a 'super app' strategy to stem subscriber losses. Canal+, which debuted on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in June 2026, is attempting to reverse a trend where MultiChoice lost nearly 3 million subscribers over a two-year period due to competition from global streamers and rising inflation.

Contemporaneously, the growth of Connected TV (CTV) has accelerated. Per PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in October 2025, South Africa’s OTT market is expected to grow at a 6% CAGR through 2029, with video accounting for 76% of total data usage. This digital shift is evidenced by YouTube’s increasing dominance; Google South Africa data from Q1 2026 indicates that nearly one-third of linear TV advertisers are actively reducing legacy spend, with roughly 30% of those funds migrating specifically to YouTube and its CTV inventory. As GfK implements the TVM phases, these platforms will be integrated into the official currency, formalizing the move away from traditional broadcast dominance.