SABC3 zooms in on men

The show will be hosted by Eric Miyeni, author of the bestselling book O’Mandingo! The Only Black at The Dinner Party.

Modern man

The modern man is actively looking for insight on the many important milestones that happen in the process of boys becoming men, in the stages of manhood itself and in recognising and understanding the different masculinities that exist in this evolving world. The stages and aspects are diverse, from fatherhood, marriage, professional growth and development, to single parenthood, etc).

This is information that would have been readily available in traditional societal structures, which barely exist in an urban setting, and, with regards to the unique and challenging elements that have developed over the development of the current modern urban man, information that has not been explored and engaged with. .

There are very few programmes, if any, on our television stations that are dedicated to men and, somehow, it has become politically incorrect to publicly state that the male species, which makes up half of our population, has got the right to its own passion, pastimes, obsessions and have vital learning and discovering to do - outside of cars and sports – in their interaction with women and children.

The success of print formats, such as Men’s Health and GQ, and the changing South African social landscape suggest that there is definitely a gap in the market for a television property that talks to men and women about men.

All the above taken into consideration, Zooming In On Men has been developed to tackle issues related to men becoming better men, exploring the challenges and questions they face in a post millennium South Africa and engaging with women of creating a humanity that is inclusive and progressive.

Target market

The target market is LSM 7 – 10, with a relatively even split between black and white.

Zooming In On Men is to be broadcast on a Sunday at 4.30pm, following Car Torque, with a broad target market of the modern urban male, anchored in multiple contexts, which includes, though not limited to:

• Rural
  
• Semi-urban / peri-urban
  
• African
  
• Temporal (i.e. era, economic & social context)
  
• Traditional (i.e. Afrikaner, Indian, Zulu, etc)
  
• Sexuality
  
• Religion

At the same time, with SABC3’s 54% female viewership, Zooming in on Men is inclusive and talks to men and women.