The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) could face a total signal blackout before the end of 2025 if urgent action is not taken to settle its mounting debt to state signal distributor Sentech.
The warning came from Khusela Diko, Chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, during a recent Economic Cluster briefing.
“Sentech has indicated they cannot continue carrying the SABC without payment for their services,” Diko said. “They don’t think they can sustain operations beyond the end of December this year under current conditions.”
Sentech Losing Over R70 Million Monthly to Subsidise SABC
Sentech, which distributes broadcast signals for the SABC, is the public broadcaster’s main transmission partner. However, the state-owned company is losing more than R70 million every month to subsidise the SABC’s signal distribution costs — a situation Diko says is “unsustainable”.
SABC CEO Nomsa Chabeli confirmed the risk, warning that Sentech could start switching off transmitters if the debt is not resolved.
“Because of the legacy debt from Sentech, they have indicated that they will start switching off transmitters,” Chabeli said.
If transmitters are shut down, the SABC’s TV and radio signals will go dark, leading to a complete loss of service nationwide.
Experts Warn of a Catastrophic Outcome
Media Monitoring Africa’s William Bird has criticised government inaction, arguing that the state should fund the SABC’s signal distribution costs instead of forcing the broadcaster to absorb them.
“The scenario is catastrophic. The SABC’s finances are collapsing, and both the government and Parliament are failing to act,” Bird said.
The SABC narrowly avoided a blackout last year, but Bird believes the risk is higher than ever due to the lack of a bailout or loan guarantee.
Digital Migration Delays Adding to the Pressure
South Africa’s digital migration project, which aims to shift from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DTT), has been plagued by delays since 2008.
The project requires millions of households to have set-top boxes to receive DTT signals, especially for older TV sets without built-in digital tuners.
While government initially provided free set-top boxes to qualifying low-income households, uptake was limited. This has left many in the “missing middle” — those who don’t qualify for subsidies but can’t afford new equipment — at risk of losing access to free-to-air TV once analogue is switched off.
Dual Illumination Costs Over R1.23 Billion
Due to migration delays, Sentech has been forced to maintain both analogue and digital TV signals — a costly process known as dual illumination.
According to the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, dual illumination cost R1.23 billion over the past decade. No funding was allocated for it in the 2024/25 financial year, even though the practice costs between R90 million and R167 million annually.
With no new funding and Sentech’s financial reserves dwindling, the SABC could be facing one of the most severe operational crises in its history.
