When can South Africans legally stop paying the SABC TV licence?

Despite being a legal requirement for most television owners in South Africa, the SABC TV licence continues to suffer from widespread non-compliance As the rate of non-compliance with SABC TV licence payments escalates, many are now questioning whether it is possible to legally opt out of the system altogether. IOL previously reported thatreported thatSABC CEO Nomsa Chabelitold the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) last year that less than 20% of South African householdsare payingtheir TV licences. told the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) last year that less than 20% of South African households 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, andthey are funded by declining license fees, so in South Africa, less than 20% of households that should be paying for a TV licence actually pay for a TV licence”. “Fifty-five percent of our mandate costs are funded, and , 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 fee 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.