Supporters watch the Springboks beat the Wallabies at Cape Town Stadium in a Rugby Championship second round clash. The Springboks’ sustained success on the world stage has been central to rugby’s rise to the top of the viewership charts.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane/ Independent Media
Rugby has officially overtaken soccer as South Africa’s most watched spectator sport among the country’s consumer class, according to groundbreaking new BrandMapp research released ahead of the Springboks’ blockbuster clashes against the All Blacks later this year.
The comprehensive survey found that 44% of South Africa’s consumer-class adults — roughly six million people in households earning more than R10,000 per month — now regularly watch rugby, compared to 42% for soccer and 29% for cricket.
BrandMapp director of storytelling Brandon de Kock said the Springboks’ sustained success on the global stage has been absolutely central to rugby’s meteoric rise, particularly after back-to-back Rugby World Cup triumphs in 2019 and 2023.
“There’s nothing quite like success on the global stage to galvanise sports fans,” said De Kock. “The Springboks have earned their fans’ support and fervour.”
Rugby now tops viewership figures among the SA middle class, according to a BrandMapp survey.
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However, he believes rugby’s growth goes far deeper than just lifting trophies. De Kock pointed directly to what he called the “Siya Kolisi effect” — named after the iconic Springbok skipper — to argue that the sport has become vastly more inclusive and representative, successfully broadening its appeal across South Africa’s diverse communities.
Women, in particular, have helped drive rugby’s unprecedented surge. According to the data, 38% of women now watch rugby compared to 49% of men. This represents a significantly smaller gender gap than that of soccer, where only 29% of women tune in against 56% of male viewers.
The findings arrive as South African rugby builds towards another massive international season, including highly anticipated Tests against England, Scotland, and Wales, before the All Blacks tour in August and September as part of the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series.
Almost 40% of women surveyed are rugby fans, while only 29% prefer soccer.
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Yet while rugby currently sits proudly on top, the report also suggests soccer could still dominate the next major shift in sports consumption, thanks to the upcoming Fifa World Cup in the US, Canada, and Mexico, alongside the rapid rise of streaming platforms.
BrandMapp highlighted Sporty TV’s acquisition of South African streaming rights for all 104 World Cup matches at a reported cost of just R10 for viewers, boldly calling it “the sporting deal of the century”.
The disruptive move reflects a broader global shift away from traditional television and towards cheaper, mobile-first viewing experiences that particularly appeal to younger audiences. While 42% of South Africans still regularly watch rugby on traditional television, Gen Z viewers are increasingly consuming sport through streaming platforms, YouTube channels, and digital social media communities.
“There is already a hybrid viewing environment in South Africa,” De Kock concluded. “Big live sporting events remain commercially controlled and subscription-based, but the cultural experience of sport is increasingly digital, social, and fragmented.”
For now, though, rugby remains absolute king — and when the All Blacks arrive on South African shores later this year, millions will be locked in.