Media Market Research
South African media operates in a demanding commercial environment — print decline, advertising concentration into digital duopolies, streaming substitution of broadcast, and continued regulatory focus on local content and diversity. Broadcasters, publishers, streamers, and digital platforms need primary audience and advertiser evidence that cuts through syndicated panel limitations. The commercial decisions at stake — programming, pricing, subscription, rate card — are too material to leave to secondary data alone.
Why Media Research Matters
- Streaming substitution of broadcast TV is playing out faster in SA than syndicated panels track, requiring primary evidence on cord-cutting and shifting viewing.
- Advertising concentration into Google and Meta is reshaping publisher and broadcaster revenue models, requiring primary advertiser evidence on remaining inventory value.
- Subscription fatigue is a real constraint on streaming growth, and operators need research to understand stacking, churn, and bundling behaviour.
- Local content obligations and transformation expectations shape programming decisions and require structured audience evidence to support commissioning.
- Youth and Gen Z media behaviour in SA is particularly under-captured in legacy panel research and requires purpose-built primary studies.
Our Media Research Services
Audience Research and Segmentation
Primary research with SA viewers, listeners, readers, and digital audiences calibrated to the channel and genre realities of the sector.
Advertiser and Agency Research
Research with advertisers and media agencies on ad inventory value, measurement confidence, and channel-mix decisions.
Subscription and Pricing Research
Streaming, print, and digital subscription research including willingness to pay, stacking behaviour, and churn drivers.
Content and Programming Research
Concept testing, audience response, and format research for broadcasters, streamers, and publishers.
Brand and Trust Research
Brand equity, consideration, and trust tracking across SA media brands, particularly relevant for news and current affairs.
Youth and Gen Z Audience Studies
Purpose-built research with SA youth and Gen Z audiences not adequately captured in legacy panel syndicated work.
How We Approach Research in This Sector
We design media research around the commercial decisions at stake — programming greenlight, rate card reset, subscription launch, bundle pricing — rather than generic audience understanding. Senior researchers handle advertiser and agency interviews personally, and we are explicit about the inferential limits of panel work versus primary studies in our reporting.
Why Choose Meraki Research for Media?
- Coverage across broadcast, print, streaming, and digital media in SA with access to commissioning, advertiser, and agency respondents.
- Senior-led work — advertiser and agency respondents are too senior to delegate to junior fieldworkers.
- Experience with SA youth and Gen Z audience research using purpose-built recruitment approaches.
- Independent of any media operator, platform, or agency — no conflicts on competitive audience or advertiser work.
What We Deliver
| Deliverable | Format | Typical Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| Audience segmentation | Segments deck, typing tool | 6-8 weeks |
| Advertiser study | Findings report, inventory value map | 5-7 weeks |
| Subscription and pricing study | Findings deck, pricing simulator | 5-7 weeks |
| Content concept test | Concept rankings, format memo | 4-6 weeks |
| Youth and Gen Z audience study | Audience report, segmentation map | 7-9 weeks |