The Emergence of Isizulu in Skeem Saam (2011) and the “Loss of Ethnolinguistic Pluralism” at the SABC 1

This chapter investigates how the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) television channel, SABC 1, uses an ecological understanding of polyglossia to maintain and create ethnolinguistic dominance. Key arguments this chapter will make are as follows: (1) polyglossia is a language ideology masquerading as ethnolinguistic pluralism, (2) there is a loss of ethnolinguistic pluralism in SABC 1 because of the polyglot culture and its transmission, and (3) isiZulu is emerging as a language and cultural flare of the channel. This chapter concluded that isiZulu’s presence is rising in a soap initially meant to be a Sepedi show. Moreover, this has negative consequences for language equality in the SABC.