I have been reflecting on why reality television continues to dominate the South African cultural conversation. It is not because it is flawlessly produced. It is because it feels real. Shows like The Ranaka’s and Uthando Nesthembu capture audiences by reflecting family tension, generational ambition and everyday contradiction in ways that are culturally grounded and emotionally honest. Viewers do not simply watch; they participate. They debate. They invest.
This matters directly to brands, agencies and strategists operating in an attention-saturated environment. South African audiences are culturally literate and emotionally discerning. They want to see themselves in the stories they consume. The traditional advertising model, built on polished campaigns and controlled messaging, increasingly struggles to hold that attention.
The core question is, what is it that reality television understands that many brands do not? The answer lies in structure. Reality formats are engineered around conflict, transformation and continuity. They build narrative arcs that unfold over time. They allow vulnerability. They create characters audiences return to. In doing so, they generate sustained emotional investment rather than fleeting engagement.
Where this becomes particularly visible is in South Africa’s social ecosystem. Reality episodes drive group chats, social media threads and public debate long after the credits roll. However, this principle is not geographically limited. In any market where audiences are fatigued by generic messaging, content that feels lived-in and emotionally credible will outperform content that feels manufactured.
How, then, can brands apply this thinking without descending into the spectacle? The shift begins with mindset. Producers think in seasons and story lines. Most brands think in quarterly campaigns. Producers ask how a character evolves over time. Brands often ask how a post performs in isolation. That difference is strategic.
Consider the Ranaka’s, across multiple seasons, audiences witnessed growth, tension and change within the family. Familiarity builds, stakes rose and viewers returned not for a single dramatic moment but for narrative continuity. That continuity is what converts attention into loyalty. It is structured storytelling designed to compound over time.
Brands can adopt this same logic. Instead of commissioning isolated influencer posts or one-off campaigns, they can build recurring content formats and ongoing creator journeys that audiences recognise and anticipate. The objective shifts from generating impressions to building emotional progression.
A brand that demonstrates this producer mindset effectively is Nando’s. Rather than resetting its voice with each campaign, the brand consistently embeds itself in South African humour and socio-political commentary. Its messaging feels like an extension of an ongoing cultural conversation rather than a standalone promotion. There is tension, specificity and a clear point of view.
Like a strong reality format, Nando’s creates moments that spark debate and participation. The Nando’s team understands that cultural relevance requires clarity and, at times, calculated risk. That approach answers the “why”: audiences respond to brands that reflect real context and real emotion, not those that hide behind safe neutrality.
Reality television succeeds because it leverages fundamental human psychology. People are drawn to tension and resolution. They care about growth and transformation. When narratives evolve, we return. When the stakes are clear, we invest. Marketing that applies these structural principles can move beyond surface engagement to build durable trust.
Audiences today are highly attuned to inauthenticity. Scripted relatability is easy to detect. However, when brands show complexity, cultural nuance and even measured imperfection, they signal confidence. They demonstrate that they understand who they are speaking to, what role they play in people’s lives, where they show up culturally, how their story evolves and why their perspective matters.
The opportunity for marketers is clear. In a content economy defined by saturation and scepticism, brands that think like producers will outperform those that think like advertisers. They will prioritise narrative continuity over campaign bursts. They will build cultural assets rather than temporary spikes.
Authenticity is no longer a creative flourish. It is a structural strategy.
By Lungile Mazibuko
