SABC has unleashed debt collectors to chase households in arrears over TV licence fees
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has unleashed debt collectors to chase households in arrears over TV licence fees, sending SMS reminders demanding payment.
IOL previously reported that non-compliance continues to grow, with less than 20% of South African households currently paying their annual R265 licence fee, putting increasing pressure on the public broadcaster’s finances.
The TV licence was originally instituted to fund the public broadcaster and support local programming. However, as streaming services and digital content proliferate, many South Africans are questioning whether the fee is still necessary.
SABC CEO Nomsa Chabeli told the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) last year that the decline in TV licence payments was placing increasing pressure on the public broadcaster’s finances, with only a small portion of its mandate costs now being funded through licence revenue.
