diff --git a/reportbuilder/classes/external/custom_report_audience_cards_exporter.php b/reportbuilder/classes/external/custom_report_audience_cards_exporter.php
index 561e140f117..9a72e02b9e7 100644
--- a/reportbuilder/classes/external/custom_report_audience_cards_exporter.php
+++ b/reportbuilder/classes/external/custom_report_audience_cards_exporter.php
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ namespace core_reportbuilder\external;
 
 use core_collator;
 use core_component;
-use core_plugin_manager;
 use renderer_base;
 use core_reportbuilder\local\audiences\base;
 
@@ -52,15 +51,8 @@ class custom_report_audience_cards_exporter extends custom_report_menu_cards_exp
                     continue;
                 }
 
-                // The name of each card will be the component the audience belongs to.
-                [$component] = explode('\\', $class);
-                if ($plugininfo = core_plugin_manager::instance()->get_plugin_info($component)) {
-                    $componentname = $plugininfo->displayname;
-                } else {
-                    $componentname = get_string('site');
-                }
-
                 // New menu card per component.
+                $componentname = $audience->get_component_displayname();
                 if (!array_key_exists($componentname, $menucards)) {
                     $menucards[$componentname] = [
                         'name' => $componentname,
diff --git a/reportbuilder/classes/local/audiences/base.php b/reportbuilder/classes/local/audiences/base.php
index 834e24971a1..ffecfe62532 100644
--- a/reportbuilder/classes/local/audiences/base.php
+++ b/reportbuilder/classes/local/audiences/base.php
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ use core_plugin_manager;
 use MoodleQuickForm;
 use stdClass;
 use core\output\notification;
+use core_reportbuilder\local\helpers\database;
 use core_reportbuilder\local\models\audience;
 use core_reportbuilder\report_access_exception;
 
@@ -89,11 +90,27 @@ abstract class base {
         return $instance;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Return display name of the component the audience belongs to
+     *
+     * @return string
+     */
+    final public function get_component_displayname(): string {
+        [$component] = explode('\\', get_class($this));
+
+        if ($plugininfo = core_plugin_manager::instance()->get_plugin_info($component)) {
+            return $plugininfo->displayname;
+        }
+
+        // Return generic site text for those audiences belonging to core subsystems.
+        return get_string('site');
+    }
+
     /**
      * Helps to build SQL to retrieve users that matches the current audience
      *
-     * Implementations must use api::generate_alias() for table/column aliases
-     * and api::generate_param_name() for named parameters
+     * Implementations must use {@see database::generate_alias} and {@see database::generate_param_name} for table/column
+     * aliases and parameter names
      *
      * @param string $usertablealias
      * @return array array of three elements [$join, $where, $params]
@@ -104,15 +121,14 @@ abstract class base {
      * Returns string for audience category.
      *
      * @return string
+     *
+     * @deprecated since Moodle 4.2 - please do not use this function any more, {@see get_component_displayname}
      */
     final public function get_category(): string {
-        [$component] = explode('\\', get_class($this));
+        debugging('The function ' . __FUNCTION__ . '() is deprecated, please do not use it any more. ' .
+            'See class \'get_component_displayname\' method for replacement', DEBUG_DEVELOPER);
 
-        if ($plugininfo = core_plugin_manager::instance()->get_plugin_info($component)) {
-            return $plugininfo->displayname;
-        }
-
-        return get_string('site');
+        return $this->get_component_displayname();
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/reportbuilder/classes/local/helpers/audience.php b/reportbuilder/classes/local/helpers/audience.php
index 6019c4675f0..b0dd62ed9a4 100644
--- a/reportbuilder/classes/local/helpers/audience.php
+++ b/reportbuilder/classes/local/helpers/audience.php
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ use context;
 use context_system;
 use core_collator;
 use core_component;
-use core_plugin_manager;
 use core_reportbuilder\local\audiences\base;
 use core_reportbuilder\local\models\audience as audience_model;
 
@@ -242,14 +241,7 @@ class audience {
         foreach ($audiences as $class => $path) {
             $audienceclass = $class::instance();
             if (is_subclass_of($class, base::class) && $audienceclass->user_can_add()) {
-                [$component] = explode('\\', $class);
-
-                if ($plugininfo = core_plugin_manager::instance()->get_plugin_info($component)) {
-                    $componentname = $plugininfo->displayname;
-                } else {
-                    $componentname = get_string('site');
-                }
-
+                $componentname = $audienceclass->get_component_displayname();
                 $sources[$componentname][$class] = $audienceclass->get_name();
             }
         }
diff --git a/reportbuilder/upgrade.txt b/reportbuilder/upgrade.txt
index 6d8b50f7a73..8414a8df627 100644
--- a/reportbuilder/upgrade.txt
+++ b/reportbuilder/upgrade.txt
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ Information provided here is intended especially for developers.
   during tests
 * The `datasource_stress_test_columns` test helper now enables sorting on those columns that support it
 * The `create_[column|filter|condition]` test generator methods now allow for setting all persistent properties
+* The `get_category` method of the base audience class has been deprecated, callers should instead use `get_component_displayname`
 
 === 4.1 ===