KIDS can now enjoy their favourite cartoons in their home languages while learning the language.
Nickelodeon Africa announced the much-anticipated return of SpongeBob SquarePants: isiZulu, featuring an exciting Christmas Special and the debut of Season 13.
In a statement, they said the initiative continues Paramount Africa's commitment to diversity and inclusion, emphasising the importance of representation and the preservation of local African languages.
The two-part SpongeBob SquarePants: isiZulu Christmas Special premiered on Tuesday, 4 December (part 1) and part 2 on Wednesday, 5 December.
Dillon Khan, vice president of Nickelodeon, said they are excited.
"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."
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Dillon said as one of Nickelodeon's most popular programmes, 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 one 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,” he said.
Dillon said the Zulu 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, emphasising the show's popularity and the audience's eagerness to engage with content that reflects their linguistic and cultural identity,” he said.
Dillon said SpongeBob SquarePants remains one of the most loved and recognised animated characters globally, making it the perfect case study for exploring glocalisation through Zulu dubbing.
“Paramount Africa is proud to contribute to the promotion and preservation of local languages through this beloved animated series."
