Despite being a legal requirement for most television owners in South Africa, the SABC TV licence continues to suffer from widespread non-compliance
Image: IOL Graphics
With increasing non-compliance in SABC TV licence payments, many are questioning the legal avenues available to step outside the system
IOL previously reported that SABC CEO Nomsa Chabeli told the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) last year that less than 20% of South African households are paying their TV licences.
She pointed out 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.
"Fifty-five percent of our mandate costs are funded, and they are funded by declining licence fees, so in South Africa, less than 20% of households that should be paying for a TV licence actually pay for a TV licence".
Despite the falling compliance rate, South Africans are still legally required to pay the licence fees and could face penalties for non-payment.
However, according to the SABC's FAQ page, there is a limited way for licence holders to be exempted, but only under strict conditions.
According to the SABC, a person may only be exempted if their television receiving equipment has been permanently altered, so that it can no longer receive a broadcast signal, and this must be formally proven and verified.
"Removal of a television set’s tuner” renders it incapable of receiving any TV signal and, consequently, exempt from the need to be licensed.
"Written notice to the SABC of such denaturing must be supported by documentary proof in the form of a letter/invoice/receipt from a reputable TV repairer or installer"
"A R300 payment must accompany such application to the SABC, after which an authorised agent will be despatched to inspect the applicant’s TV equipment. On receipt of confirmation from the agent that the applicant has NO television receiving equipment [TV set(s), VCR(s) or PC(s) fitted with a tuner card] in his/her possession, he/she will be exempted from payment of licence fees for the rest of the current licensing period.
However, South Africans could soon not need to pay for the licence.
Last month, IOL also reported that Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Solly Malatsi had confirmed that new funding models for the struggling SABC have been submitted to the government, with several funding options now under consideration for legislative changes.
Malatsi appointed Johannesburg-based research firm BMIT Knowledge Group in September 2025 to develop the model amid the public broadcaster’s falling revenue and mounting financial challenges.