Nickelodeon Africa is thrilled to announce the much-anticipated return of SpongeBob SquarePants: isiZulu, featuring an exciting Christmas Special and the debut of Season 13. This initiative continues Paramount Africa’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, emphasizing the importance of representation and the preservation of local African languages.
The two-part SpongeBob SquarePants: isiZulu Christmas Special is set to premiere on 4 December at 11:30 am (Part 1) and 5 December at 11:30 am (Part 2). Following the festive celebration, Season 13 will kick off on 6 December at 11:30 am, with weekend repeats at 13:30.
Dillon Khan, Vice President of Nickelodeon, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “SpongeBob SquarePants: isiZulu has become a cultural phenomenon, and its return with a Christmas Special and Season 13 in isiZulu underlines our commitment to promoting diversity and inclusivity in entertainment.”
As one of Nickelodeon’s most popular programs, SpongeBob SquarePants boasted a cumulative audience of 10 million viewers in 2022. The show has been a ratings powerhouse, contributing 14.5% of total performance on the channel for the year. With an impressive 1 billion YouTube video views in 2022 and over 500 million views on Facebook in South Africa since last year, SpongeBob SquarePants has proven to be a global phenomenon, loved by audiences across diverse cultures.
The isiZulu dubbing, subtitled in English, provides a unique and entertaining opportunity for families to learn and enjoy the language together. Over a two-month period, a total of 2,602,520 unique viewers tuned in to watch SpongeBob SquarePants: isiZulu, emphasizing the show’s popularity and the audience’s eagerness to engage with content that reflects their linguistic and cultural identity.
SpongeBob SquarePants remains one of the most loved and recognized animated characters globally, making it the perfect case study for exploring glocalization through isiZulu dubbing. Paramount Africa is proud to contribute to the promotion and preservation of local languages through this beloved animated series.
For the best kids’ entertainment and more on SpongeBob SquarePants: isiZulu stay tuned to NickToons, DStv Channel 308.
Join the conversation using the hashtag #ZuluSpongeBob and follow @NickAfrica on Twitter and @Nickelodeon_Africa on Instagram for more details.
