Residents making an attempt to pay their SABC TV licence are at the moment unable to, on account of cyber safety threats on the net cost portal. In December 2025, Sentech, a state-operated expertise distributor, threatened to drag the plug on the SABC due to its mounting invoice. As heard in parliament, Sentech is owed greater than R1 billion in unpaid sign prices, with the invoice mounting by R70 million each month it continues to broadcast.
Worse nonetheless, the CEO of the state broadcaster, Nomsa Chabeli, mentioned the SABC TV licence was, “A damaged and outdated funding mannequin. It was designed for a world that not exists. Together with the shift to on-demand digital media, SABC TV licence compliance has remained static for years,” defined Chabeli.
WHY YOU CAN’T PAY YOUR SABC TV LICENCE
Worse nonetheless, even if you wish to pay your SABC TV licence, you’re opening your self as much as cyber threats. Scammers have lengthy focused the TV licence as a strategy to dupe unsuspecting residents. SMS/texts claiming funds are excellent and you can be handed over for prosecution are commonplace.
Nevertheless, MyBroadband experiences that the SABC TV licence on-line pay portal is now weak to hackers/scammers, too. It is because its Transport Layer Safety (TLS) certificates has expired. Such expertise prevents clients from paying and exposing their banking particulars. Reviews declare the TLS expired on Sunday 22 March 2026.
UNSECURE PAYMENTS BLOCKED
Fortunately, all up-to-date internet browsers is not going to permit banking transaction on a website with out a legitimate SSL certificates. Due to this fact, the SABC TV licence pay portal will probably be blocked and registered as unsecure. Any delicate knowledge transmitted – corresponding to login/password credentials, cost data or private particulars – is not going to be intercepted.
Moreover, main debit/bank card corporations require web sites to fulfill PCI/DSS necessities. This ensures solely safe processing of buyer data. A warning of ‘Connection Refused’ or ‘SSL Handshake Error’ will show when trying to make funds on the SABC TV licence pay portal. It’s possible the nationwide broadcaster has been unable to get a brand new TLS certificates on account of its present monetary misery.
However what do you suppose? Do you continue to obtain notifications to pay excellent funds? Do you belief these and would you pay them in case you knew you have been being uncovered to cyber threats? Tell us within the feedback part beneath …
