SABC’s unusual new plan to get TV licence fees paid

Johannesburg – The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is testing a new strategy to encourage more people to pay their TV licences by using its free streaming platform, SABC+, as the broadcaster grapples with billions of rand in unpaid fees.

The initiative involves gamifying SABC+, with the broadcaster hoping that interactive features will increase audience engagement while encouraging licence payments.

According to MyBroadband, the SABC spent R2.5 million on a proof-of-concept project during the 2025/26 financial year.

SABC head of communications Mmoni Ngubane said the broadcaster was exploring “innovative techniques to increase engagement on the platform”.

“Some of these initiatives will ease TV licence payments and also assist with the high non-compliance rate,” Ngubane said, according to the report.

Payment of TV licensing

SABC chief executive Nomsa Chabeli previously confirmed the pilot, saying: “We launched a gamification pilot project. It’s on SABC+, and it’s also to help get us users, but also retain users.”

She added that the initiative was being used “to assist in the payment of TV licensing”.

The scale of the problem is reflected in the broadcaster’s financial figures. MyBroadband reported that only 15% of TV licence holders paid their fees in 2024/25, while the SABC billed R4.94 billion and collected R758 million, leaving about R4.18 billion uncollected.

The issue has also been highlighted by TimesLIVE, which reported that 85% of billed accounts remained unpaid despite licence-fee revenue increasing to R758 million from R687 million in 2023/24.

The SABC’s funding model is meanwhile under review.

Possible alternatives

The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies appointed BMI TechKnowledge in September 2025 to develop a new funding model for the public broadcaster, saying the work was intended to find “sustainable solutions” for the SABC’s long-term financial stability.

MyBroadband has reported that possible alternatives to the existing licence system include household fees, government grants, an individual levy and other funding mechanisms, while the SABC has previously indicated support for a technology-neutral levy collected through SARS.

For now, however, the SABC is continuing to use its existing TV-licence system while testing ways to improve compliance.

The broadcaster has not disclosed the full details of the SABC+ initiative, saying it forms part of its business strategy. Ngubane said the project had already increased engagement with content on the platform.

The development comes as the SABC faces growing pressure to secure a sustainable funding model while maintaining its public-service broadcasting mandate.