Update: 13 September 2024
The chairperson of the Portfolio Committee for South Africas Communications and Digital Technologies Khusela Sangoni said that the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is still facing a significant crisis if its funding model is not urgently revised, Cape {town} Etc reports.
SABC has faced financial difficulties in recent years due to persistent challenges in collecting TV licence fees coupled with the growing digital offerings of streaming networks.
Airtime sales, content distribution and advertising as well as government grants and TV licence fees make up the public broadcasters revenue. Despite the ongoing financial strain, the SABC is committed to improving its financial standing and is working closely with the Portfolio Committee to explore new funding options with the goal of achieving probability by March 2028.
Part of SABCs recovery plan is to revise its streaming option, SABC+, forecasted to attract more than half a million users by March 2025. Another essential element is to create a more effective way to collect TV licence payments, by means of a household levy that would apply to all households with access to SABC services, regardless of actual usage. The broadcaster reports that evasion rates have surged from 69% in 2019 to 87% in the current financial year.
