Fix the SABC before it dies
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has a critical role in South Africa as the country’s public broadcaster. If it were to collapse, it would be disastrous for TV in the country.
This is according to experienced TV industry journalist Thinus Ferreira, who told 702 that he fears for the public broadcaster’s future, without which many of the country’s residents would lose access to critical information.
“Every year, like this year again, I’m scared thinking: ‘Is this the year that the SABC is finally going to implode?'” said Ferreira.
“The government is on record saying that it’s not giving more bailouts for parastatals, and that includes the SABC, which sits with a R1-billion bill just for Sentech, plus numerous other millions that they have to pay to other creditors.”
He added that he is concerned that the situation will reach a point where residents try to tune into SABC TV or radio channels only to find that it has gone dark.
Ferreira warned that failing to address the SABC’s issues could lead to a situation similar to that of the Post Office, Eskom, or South African Airways.
“The SABC has a hugely important role as a public broadcaster and we should be proud of that. Not a lot of countries have a public broadcaster,” he said.
“If we leave the problem and it runs into something like the Post Office or Eskom or SAA where it has to fail completely, and then suddenly we wake up and instead of an SABC 1, 2, and 3, including Indigenous languages, we just have one, or we lose radio stations.”
Reworking the state-owned broadcaster’s funding model is critical to rectifying the SABC’s financial situation.
South Africa’s public broadcaster has been loss-making since the 2014/15 financial year. In its latest annual report, the SABC recorded a loss before interest and tax of R192 million.
This marks an improvement over the R827-million loss before tax and interest it reported the year prior.
While the SABC is improving its financial situation, several factors still threaten its stability, including its R1-billion debt to state signal distributor Sentech and an unsustainable funding model.
According to Sentech, the public broadcaster’s debt has accumulated since January 2023. As of 25 November 2024, the SABC owed Sentech R1.12 billion.
Media Monitoring Africa’s William Bird described the situation as “catastrophic”.
“You have the SABC’s finances plummeting. You have the government and Parliament failing to do their job,” he said.
“And then when the government doesn’t provide any kind of a bailout or a loan guarantee, you’re leaving the SABC in an impossible position. It’s not a stretch to think we’ll be looking at a blackout.”
Sentech had threatened to disconnect the SABC for the non-payment of its debt. However, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi threw the public broadcaster a lifeline.
The Minister cut a deal with Sentech to keep the public broadcaster’s signals running for at least two months while it explores options for a long-term sustainability model.
Former Minister Mondli Gungubele published the long-awaited SABC Bill in October 2023. The Bill set a three-year timeline to rework the broadcaster’s funding model.
However, several stakeholders and Malatsi took issue with the “fundamentally flawed” Bill.
Battle over SABC bill
Unhappy with it kicking the issue of reworking the SABC’s funding model down the road, Malatsi cancelled and withdrew the SABC Bill in November 2024.
He said he invoked his discretionary powers as minister to withdraw the Bill after broad consultations with stakeholders and considering public comments.
He said the Bill lacked a credible funding model. Several broadcasting experts, former SABC executives, and media watchdogs share this view.
“This approach does not meet the urgency required to stabilise the broadcaster and risks perpetuating an outdated licensing structure that will not provide the SABC with the necessary resources to fulfil its mandate,” Malatsi said.
The Minister’s move was met with backlash from Khusela Diko, chair of the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, who said the decision would “sound the death knell for the SABC.”
After Malatsi announced the Bill’s withdrawal, President Cyril Ramaphosa stripped ministers of the power to withdraw bills without first securing approval from himself and Deputy President Paul Mashatile.
The argument heated up again when Malatsi voiced his frustrations with National Assembly speaker Thoko Didiza, who has yet to progress the Bill’s withdrawal.
“It’s very clear that there is stalling from the Speaker’s office to withdraw the bill, which is extraordinary because that would be in violation of the very same rules she’s supposed to uphold,” said Malatsi.
Diko condemned these comments by saying that the criticism was unwarranted and unconstitutional.
Despite this, Malatsi remains steadfast and says he will explore legal avenues to reinforce his decision to cancel the Bill.
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