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Vertical, cheap and mostly made by machines. These are the Chinese AI microdramas South Africa is now watching instead of soaps.
Chinese AI microdramas South Africa viewers find on TikTok are turning into a real rival for local soaps. The series run in one or two minute episodes, cost a fraction of a normal production and use synthetic actors and voices. As a result, DStv, e.tv and the SABC now compete with phone screens for the same audience. Here is what the trend is, why it is so cheap and what it could mean locally.
Chinese AI Microdramas South Africa: What Is Happening
On October 14, MyBroadband reported that cheap, AI-made microdramas are taking South Africa by storm. According to MyBroadband, they now chase an audience that once belonged only to DStv, e.tv and the SABC.
The signs are easy to spot. South African viewers leave comments under these shows on TikTok. Meanwhile, night staff at petrol stations and shopping centres pass quiet hours with AI voices playing from their phones, the outlet noted.
So far, no South African broadcaster or production body has commented on the trend.
What Are Microdramas?
Microdramas grew out of China’s duanju industry. A typical series has 25 to 50 episodes, and each one lasts about one to two minutes. They play vertically, so they fit a phone held in one hand.
Like soaps and telenovelas, they lean on familiar tropes and cliffhangers. Hidden billionaires, secret identities and jealous step-siblings show up again and again. In addition, fantasy is huge: shapeshifting “beast men”, vampires, wizards and mechs fill many series.
At first, these shows used human actors. Now, near-photorealistic AI video and synthetic dialogue do much of that work instead.
AI Micro Drama Production: Why It Costs Up to 99% Less
Money explains the boom. A conventional microdrama costs $150,000 to $300,000 to make, according to Media Partners Asia figures cited by MyBroadband. By contrast, Caixin Global estimates an AI-generated microdrama at about 20,000 yuan, or roughly R49,660.
That puts the saving between 91% and 99%. The New York Times found a similar picture in China, where AI microdramas can be made for about $30 per minute, with no cameras, crew or human performers.
Chinese companies also dominate AI video itself. For example, MiniMax builds the Hailuo model we tested in our Hailuo AI review.
TikTok Microdramas: How South Africans Watch for Free
The big apps in this space are ReelShort, DramaBox, DramaWave, NetShort and GoodShort. Each gives away a few episodes, then sells tokens. Watching a full series can cost up to R300, which likely limited their reach in South Africa.
TikTok changed that. It added support for microdramas, now called micro-series, so producers earn ad revenue instead. Viewers pay nothing, and ads of six to 12 seconds play between some episodes.
Other platforms want in, too. YouTube has added features for the format, and Peacock launched its own microdramas in June.
Chinese Microdramas and the Actors AI Replaced
The cost savings have a human price. Chinese actors told the BBC World Service that at least 600 actors at just two companies lost their jobs. Falling platform subsidies played a part, but AI was a big factor.
The New York Times met actors in the same position. “There’s nothing,” said Li Jiao’e, 32. “It’s like it was raining, and then suddenly the rain stopped.”
Output, meanwhile, keeps climbing. Nearly 50,000 new AI microdramas went up on Douyin in March alone, according to the consulting firm DataEye. That almost matched the platform’s total for all of 2025.
China AI Micro Drama Industry by the Numbers
The scale behind the trend is hard to ignore. The table below collects the key figures, each from the outlet named in the last column.
| Metric | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| China microdrama revenue, 2024 | US$7 billion, above the domestic box office | The Conversation |
| Microdrama revenue outside China, 2026 | US$3.6 billion forecast | Media Partners Asia via MyBroadband |
| Conventional microdrama budget | US$150,000 to US$300,000 | Media Partners Asia via MyBroadband |
| AI microdrama budget | About 20,000 yuan (R49,660) | Caixin Global via MyBroadband |
| AI production cost | About $30 per minute | The New York Times |
| New AI microdramas on Douyin, March 2026 | Nearly 50,000 | DataEye via The New York Times |
| Actors who lost work at two companies | At least 600 | BBC World Service via MyBroadband |
Even so, the numbers come from forecasts and secondary reports, so treat them as estimates.
Why Chinese AI Microdramas Are Hard to Stop Watching
Short episodes and cliffhangers make it easy to keep going. Dr Johnny Chan of the University of Auckland argues that viewers make a series of one-minute choices rather than one half-hour decision.
He adds that platforms track completions, replays, shares and skips to tune recommendations. However, he is careful to call AI’s role in this a hypothesis, not a tested result. His fixes include clear stopping points and showing the real cost of virtual coins.
For South Africa, the bigger worry is work. Local soaps have long been a steady source of jobs for artists and crews. Therefore, the spread of Chinese AI microdramas in South Africa could hit that pipeline first.
MiniMax, a Chinese AI company, makes Hailuo. Try it yourself and turn a short scene description into a cinematic vertical clip.
Want More on Chinese AI Microdramas?
Curious which tools can turn a script into short video clips? Compare them in our guide to the best AI video generators. And for another AI series that took over TikTok, read how AI Fruit Love Island hit 300 million views before it vanished.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Chinese AI microdramas popular in South Africa?
They are free on TikTok, short and full of cliffhangers. In addition, they offer the same comfort as local soaps, so they compete for the audience of DStv, e.tv and the SABC.
What are microdramas?
Microdramas are vertical series of 25 to 50 episodes, each one to two minutes long. The format grew out of China’s duanju industry and relies on melodrama, familiar tropes and cliffhangers.
How much cheaper are AI microdramas?
Between 91% and 99% cheaper, according to MyBroadband. A conventional series costs $150,000 to $300,000, while Caixin Global puts an AI version at about 20,000 yuan.
Where can you watch microdramas?
Apps such as ReelShort, DramaBox, DramaWave, NetShort and GoodShort sell tokens after a few free episodes. Meanwhile, TikTok micro-series are free with short ads, and Peacock and YouTube now support the format too.
Did AI cost microdrama actors their jobs?
Yes, in part. Chinese actors told the BBC World Service that at least 600 actors at two companies lost work. Falling platform subsidies also played a role.
How big is the microdrama market?
Microdramas earned about US$7 billion in China in 2024, The Conversation reports. Outside China, Media Partners Asia forecasts US$3.6 billion in revenue for 2026.
Sources
MyBroadband (October 14, 2026), iAfrica (October 15, 2026), The New York Times via The Boston Globe (May 3, 2026), The Conversation via University of Auckland (October 13, 2026). *Photos: Hengdian World Studios 001 by kanegen from Tokyo, Japan, CC BY 2.0, cropped and resized; South African Broadcasting Corporation HQ by Mike Powell, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped.*
