WTDaBuzz · Research · 17 October 2026
A market percentage is easier to interpret when the reader knows who supplied the answers. The NFVF’s new South African audience research makes that methodological question particularly relevant to entertainment companies preparing an audience brief.
The 27 May 2026 report records 379 completed interviews against a target of 397, with respondents across all nine provinces. Its sample is concentrated among younger and working-age adults, with only one respondent aged 65 or over. Those details should remain visible when a finding is used to discuss a particular audience segment.
Match the research population to the decision
A distributor considering a film for older viewers should not assume that every broad survey result provides equally strong evidence about that group. The relevant question is what the available sample can usefully describe.
A hypothetical campaign team can record the audience it wants to reach, the evidence available about that audience and the questions that need another source. This keeps a national report useful without overstating its precision.
Keep the question attached to the answer
A slide should preserve what respondents were asked and the base used for the percentage. Removing those details can make an answer appear to describe a larger or different population.
The analyst should also distinguish reported behaviour, stated preference and an intention about the future. Each can inform a decision, but they should not be silently substituted for one another.
Use research to sharpen the next test
A useful audience brief can turn a finding into a specific question for a release or campaign. The team can then gather evidence about the proposed title and intended audience rather than treat the report as a complete prediction.
The NFVF study is valuable material for understanding South African screen audiences. Its business value is strongest when the sample, question and reporting period remain part of the story told by each number.
Image: Illustrative cinema audience, Andrej Lišakov / Unsplash+, licensed original; not respondents in the NFVF survey.
