State broadcaster SABC recorded losses of R1.1 billion in the last financial year ending in March 2023.
That’s what SABC Board Chair Khathutselo Ramukumba told Parliament’s Communications and Digital Technologies portfolio committee.
One of the reasons for this, according to Ramukumba was the non-payment of TV licenses as evasion rates increased from 82% in 2021 and 2022, to “somewhere upwards of 87%”.
A TIMELINE OF FAILURE
According to Mybroadband, the evasion rate from 2018 to 2023 is as follows:
- 2018 — 72%
- 2019 — 69%
- 2020 — 81%
- 2021 — 82.1%
- 2022 — 81.7%
- 2023 — 87%
WHAT ARE THE OTHER ISSUES?
Ramukumba noted that this loss was also exacerbated by loadshedding, analogue switch-off due to reduction in advertising and competition from streaming services.
A R3.2 BILLION BAILOUT
“Unfortunately, despite the interventions of our predecessor board and the (R3.2 billion) bailout, that progress that has been made in reducing those losses did not come to fruition”, Ramukumba declared.
IMPACT ON SABC WORKERS
The impact of this revenue loss will most likely be on those working at the SABC.
It should be noted that in 2021 the SABC retrenched more than 600 workers at the national broadcaster.
IOL