Cheap microdramas made with artificial intelligence are winning South African viewers, MyBroadband reported. The short shows now compete for an audience that once belonged to DStv, E-tv and the SABC.
Media Partners Asia expects the microdrama industry outside China to earn $3.6 billion in 2026. That is about R59.7 billion.
According to MyBroadband, soap and telenovela viewers bring local broadcasters hundreds of millions of rands every year. Local soaps and drama series have also been a fairly steady source of work for artists and crews.
Microdramas are filmed in vertical video for phones. MyBroadband said they meet the same need as soaps and compete for a similar audience.
The publication said the local TV industry could suffer if these AI shows pull viewers away from local productions.
Microdramas on TikTok carry many comments from South African viewers, which shows the format has found a local audience. MyBroadband said staff at petrol stations and parking lots often watch them on their phones during quiet night shifts.
The format grew out of China’s duanju industry. These are short stories told in 25 to 50 episodes. Each episode lasts one or two minutes.
The early shows used human actors. Like soaps, they rely on familiar plots, big emotions and cliffhangers to keep people watching.
New AI tools can now make almost lifelike video with convincing fake voices. This has made series much cheaper to produce, but it has also cost thousands of performers and crew members their jobs.
Chinese actors told the BBC World Service that at least 600 actors at just two companies lost their jobs. Falling platform subsidies also played a part in the job losses.
Media Partners Asia reported in August that a normal microdrama cost between R2.5 million and R5 million to make. Caixin Global reported that an AI version costs about R49,660.
Independent AI studios quote between R130,000 and R415,000 for a season of 50 episodes. MyBroadband said this makes AI microdramas 91% to 99% cheaper than shows with real sets, actors and crews.
AI tools can also translate scripts quickly from Chinese into English and other languages. The voices and lip movements are matched to the new words.
China’s broadcasting regulator said the microdrama industry earned more than R248 billion last year. DataEye Research Institute forecast that microdramas and AI animation would earn at least R298 billion in 2026.
The biggest players are ReelShort, DramaBox, DramaWave, NetShort and GoodShort. Each one has its own smartphone app.
These apps usually give a few free episodes. After that, viewers buy tokens to unlock each new episode. MyBroadband said one series can cost up to R300 to watch.
The publication said this payment model was likely not very successful in South Africa. TikTok then added special support for the format, which it now calls micro-series.
Fantasy and science fiction stories are popular. Many shows feature shapeshifting beast men, vampires, wizards and dragon spirits. Hidden billionaire plots and jealous rivals, often stepsiblings, also appear often.
TikTok is not the only platform taking part. YouTube has added features for the format, and NBCUniversal’s Peacock launched its own microdramas in June.
Source: this article is based on reporting by MyBroadband. Image: MyBroadband. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Entertainment desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Rirhandzu Baloyi writes about entertainment for Tzaneen Voice. Rirhandzu covers South African music, film, TV, streaming, awards and celebrity news, from amapiano and local soapies to Showmax and Netflix releases. Stories stick to what happened, who was involved and when fans can watch or listen.