The SA TV licence as we all know it’s useless! This isn’t simply the sentiment of tens of millions of South Africans who largely devour streamed leisure. No, that is the assertion of the Minister of Communication and Digital Applied sciences himself, Solly Malatsi.
Final 12 months, the minister admitted the SA TV licence funding mannequin as we all know has collapsed. As such an unbiased analysis and advisory agency, BMIT, was tasked with developing with different fashions to maintain the SABC alive. Nonetheless, it’s but to ship its report back to authorities …
SA TV LICENCE FUNDING MODEL
Final 12 months, The South African reported how the general public broadcaster owes Sentech roughly R1.2 billion in unpaid sign distribution prices. After all, the foundation trigger is a scarcity of income generated by the SA TV licence.
In response to Broadcast Media, licence-fee avoidance has surged from 69% in 2019 to 85% in 2025. As such, the SABC says it can not afford to pay suppliers or create any significant tv exhibits. Nonetheless, civil advocacy teams are appalled at how SABC prime executives are nonetheless paid tens of millions every year.
INDEPENDENT RESEARCHERS DRAG THEIR HEELS
Minister Malatsi, chatting with the SABC, stated that his division continues to be awaiting a report on numerous funding choices. The overdue report was initially anticipated to be delivered earlier than yearend in December 2025. Nonetheless, BMIT missed that deadline and has been given an extension to Friday 6 February 2026.
The rationale for the delay, it says, was BMIT’s prolonged consultations with stakeholders and disruption of the end-of-year vacation. Nonetheless, the matter stays critically pressing, as a result of with out reform the SABC dangers full collapse, leaving tens of millions of poor South Africans with out entry to any public broadcasting.
WHAT ARE ALTERNATIVES TO SA TV LICENCE?
A number of alternate options to conventional TV licences are being explored:
1. Broadcasting Tax
The main different is a common, public Broadcasting Tax collected by the South African Income Service (SARS). This unpopular thought recognises that South Africans now devour content material on telephones, laptops and streaming units. This strategy is much like Germany’s ‘solidarity’ mannequin.
2. Direct Treasury Funding
Direct funding from the Nationwide Treasury might present the steadiness the SABC wants. Nevertheless it raises issues about editorial independence and the chance of fraud, corruption and state seize.
3. Levy on Streaming Companies
A levy on all worldwide and native streaming providers to generate funds for the general public broadcaster.
4. Hybrid Mannequin
Unbiased researchers have put ahead a hybrid mannequin. This features a business mannequin, endowment funding and public-private partnership (PPP) to mix a number of income streams.
BROADCASTING TAX VS SA TV LICENCE
Nonetheless, whereas it appears to be the simplest, Minister Malatsi burdened the Broadcasting Tax stays merely a singular proposal and has not but been adopted. The Minister of Finance Enoch Godongwana is being consulted on alternate options to the SA TV licence. He insists it have to be truthful and possible, particularly for poor households with restricted earnings.
The 2026 Price range Speech is about for Wednesday 18 February and that may be a super date to announce authorities’s new plans. Nonetheless, given the overall outlook of the financial system and disposable earnings amongst poor households, “the thought of one more tax will definitely spark debate,” concluded Malatsi.
However what do you suppose? Will a Broadcasting Tax spark debate or trigger outage? Is there any approach to change the standard SA TV licence? Or ought to the SABC simply be left to dissolve? Tell us within the feedback part under …
