The radio stations and TV channels bleeding the SABC dry

Two of the SABC’s three main free-to-air channels and eight radio stations are running at a loss, including once prominent platforms like 5FM, Radio 2000, and RSG.

The public broadcaster shared these details during an in-depth look into the current individual performances of its platforms in a briefing to Parliament’s portfolio committee on communications.

In the 2025/2026 year-to-date (YTD), the SABC’s only profitable free-to-air channel has been SABC 1, which had generated R495.2 million by the time of the presentation.

The channel’s most popular content includes long-running soaps and dramas, which regularly top the Broadcasting Research Council of South Africa’s (BRCSA’s) rankings for most-watched TV broadcasts.

However, SABC acting chief financial officer Tendai Matore said the broadcaster was concerned that the channel’s profits would start declining due to a drop in advertising sales.

The two other free-to-air channels — SABC 2 and SABC 3 — recorded losses of R132.9 million and R109.2 million, respectively.

Only two of the SABC’s 19 radio stations were profitable. The most profitable was youth-oriented Metro FM, which primarily broadcasts in English. It has made R279.6 million in profit in the year to date.

The second most profitable was isiZulu station Ukhozi FM, bringing in R203.2 million. Sesotho station Lesedi FM and isiXhosa station Umhlobo FM.

The five biggest losers in the SABC’s radio station stable were RSG, Radio 2000, Motsweding FM, Ikwekwezi FM, and Ligwalagala FM.

These stations had lost a staggering R466.2 million in the financial year to date. Two other major stations — 5FM and Good Hope FM — recorded running losses of R21.5 million and R32.5 million, respectively.

These stations do not strictly serve the SABC’s public service mandate, so continued poor performance may put them at more risk than stations that exist primarily for public service.

The table below summarises the profits or losses of SABC channels and radio stations in the 2025/2026 YTD.

TV licence increase in the pipeline

The SABC also presented a 7-step “Path to Sustainability” turnaround plan in Parliament to improve its financial situation, including a proposal to increase the TV licence fee.

According to SABC communications head Mmoni Ngubane, the broadcaster must first go through an extensive legislative process to get the increase approved.

The SABC has explained it is unable to increase its TV licence customer base and that most of the last remaining payers are those that have long been on its books.

However, veteran broadcasting journalist Thinus Ferreira has warned that the hike could backfire and result in even lower compliance.

“The same SABC that told the government it sits with almost 90% of people not paying now wants the remaining few people to pay more,” he told MyBroadband.

“Any chief financial officer who studied tax compliance or a chief executive officer who has knowledge of the law of demand in economics knows that a higher price means fewer consumers will pay.”

Ferreria questioned why the broadcaster wanted to continue tinkering with the TV licence when it was not working.

“The SABC itself told Parliament the TV Licence is outdated, yet now it wants to make more money from it. It doesn’t make rational sense,” he said.