K-Wave coming via Viu

Unless you’ve been living at the bottom of the ocean, you’ll have heard of the K-wave (also known as Hallyu) – a cultural phenomenon emerging over the last few decades, which sees a rise in the popularity of South Korean pop culture all over the world.

Or perhaps you’ve heard of it, but think to yourself, “The K-wave hasn’t really reached us here in South Africa”…even as you tuck into a tub of KFC (and that K is for Korean, not Kentucky), blasting BTS with your sheet mask on.

While it might be argued that SA has been slower than other parts of the world to catch on, the local popularity of Korean skincare, cuisine, music, fashion and entertainment has undoubtedly grown over the past few years. And now it’s hit SA.  

A growing appetite for K-ontent

Elouise Kelly is the Country Head at Viu South Africa. Viu, a South East Asian over-the-top (OTT) streaming provider that built its following on the back of Korean content, entered SA in 2019 and has grown a significant base of monthly active users, thanks to its affordable subscriber video on demand (SVOD) and advertising video on demand (AVOD) dual model that has been met with open arms by cash-conscious South Africans.

According to Kelly, while South African content on Viu remains highly popular, its Korean content vertical is making massive strides in local audience interest growth.

An article that tracked Google searches over the past few years to assess the rising interest in K-drama among South Africans revealed that the number of people googling “Korean dramas” has continued to steadily grow, demonstrating our deepening appetite for Korean content.

Says Kelly: “A few factors are driving the skyrocketing popularity of K-dramas: the imaginative scriptwriting, the attractive cast, and the complex and fantastical storytelling. This has allowed it to cut across multiple markets and cultures. Furthermore, the popularity of shows such as Squid Game, Narcos and Griselda indicate that people are becoming increasingly comfortable with consuming content in its native language, with the help of dubbing or subtitles.”

SA the top market for K-pop in Sub-Saharan Africa

On the music front, local interest in K-pop is spiking too. According to Spotify, the streaming of K-pop artists such as BTS, Blackpink, Ateez and Stray Kids saw a massive 93% year-on-year increase in South Africa in 2022 and has continued to grow since, cementing the country’s position as the top market for K-pop in Sub-Saharan Africa. “It’s clear from this data that K-Pop is not just a passing phase but has a devoted and growing African fandom, ” said Phiona Okumu, Head of Music at Spotify for Sub-Saharan Africa.  

“Streaming has become instrumental in not only enabling the discovery of African music abroad but also in exposing African listeners to new and unexpected sounds.”

When it comes to our looks, we’re looking East, too. K-beauty, linked to the massive Glass Skin trend that swept social media in 2017, has taken hold across South Africa, with Korean brands such as Glow Theory, Eborian and SK-II popping up on the shelves of local retailers. According to Statistics SA, just under one-quarter of South African respondents in a global survey said that K-beauty was very popular locally, while 30% of respondents in another study attributed the popularity of K-beauty products in South Africa to their quality and efficacy.

What about our devices? Korean tech remains popular in SA (with Samsung and LG Electronics two of the top Korean investors in the country) and its cuisine is also in high demand, as Korean street food eateries and Galbi (Korean barbeque) pop up all over the country. And thanks to the close relationship between South Africa and Korea (the two countries have enjoyed over 30 years of good diplomatic relations), South Africa is the Republic of Korea’s biggest trading partner in Africa, while the Republic of Korea is South Africa’s fourth largest trading partner in Asia.

Innovation comes from everywhere

According to Kelly, the official arrival of the K-wave in South Africa can only be a good thing. “As with other markets considered to be ‘developing’, the West continues to dominate in terms of influencing the fashion, music, and entertainment trends within these regions.

“We’re now starting to see a shift in this paradigm, with a growing awareness that innovation can come from anywhere – it doesn’t only have to emerge from the United States, Europe or Great Britain.

“Not everyone has the means to travel and experience the different cultures that allow you to broaden your horizons. From an entertainment perspective, there is so much exciting material coming from emerging markets and we want to encourage people to experiment with consuming content from different regions. Diversity brings richness and connection – the more we can access and tap into the different stories from around the world, the closer it brings us as a global citizen,” she said.