South Africa's long-running TV licence system appears to be heading for extinction, with government and broadcaster leadership openly conceding that the current model no longer works.
Momentum is building around replacing the licence fee with a device-neutral household levy, signalling a major shift in how the public broadcaster could be funded in future.
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies has tasked BMI TechKnowledge with designing a new, sustainable funding framework for the SABC, with a final proposal expected by 6 February 2026. This review comes as the broadcaster's financial position weakens under the weight of widespread non-payment, as per My Broadband .
