For Advertisers
Why does this matter for my media investment decisions?
The ES provides a more current and precise picture of how South Africans access TV and video content, ensuring that audience estimates that are used in TVM — and therefore your planning and buying decisions — are grounded in up-to-date reality.
Will this change the reach and frequency numbers I’m used to seeing?
Universe estimates used for TVM will be recalibrated, which may affect reported reach and frequency figures. The BRC will provide guidance on how to interpret and compare new figures against historical data.
How do I know this data can be trusted?
The TVM ES 2026 underwent twelve months of methodological review, fieldwork oversight, weighting evaluation, quality assurance assessment, and external validation. Data quality was safeguarded through a six-layer QA framework covering every stage of fieldwork, plus an independent third-party field check that confirmed strong adherence to the sample design. The BRC’s ES Technical Committee — comprising independent consultants and broadcaster and agency representatives — reviewed the full process before recommending the ES for industry adoption.
What is the timeline for the transition to the new universe estimates in TVM?
See the Road to Adoption timeline on the BRC website.
What sample size does the ES use, and how representative is it?
The TVM ES 2026 is based on 15,378 completed face-to-face interviews nationally (against a target of 15,000), using a stratified multistage cluster sample drawn from the GTI Enumeration Area frame. Booster samples were added to ensure robust reporting for smaller population segments. The sample is weighted to align with official Stats SA population benchmarks.
For Broadcasters
How does this affect our existing TAMS-based reporting?
The ES establishes the population universes that underpin future measurement. Existing reporting structures remain in place; what changes is the universe definition and sizing that measurement is calibrated against.
Who was involved in validating this survey?
The ES Technical Committee — comprising broadcaster and agency representatives, independent consultants, and the ASK AFRICA research team — provided oversight throughout, including sign-off on study design and review of the scrutinisation process.
Can our organisation review the full methodology before adoption?
Yes — a detailed methodology document is available on request. Contact the BRC to arrange access.
How is the survey weighted to represent the South African population?
Weights are calculated in two stages: design weights, correcting for differences in selection probability across strata, followed by calibration weights that align the sample with Stats SA population benchmarks for province, population group, age, and gender. This ensures oversampled segments are proportionally corrected in the final, representative dataset.
Who do we contact with further questions?
office@brcsa.org.za — questions are routed to the appropriate BRC or Technical Committee contact.
