The MultiChoice Group has stated that it is determined to not get caught up in the ongoing license fee crisis at the South African public broadcaster. The struggling network currently has only 24% of TV households still bothering to pay their SABC TV license.
Part of the SABC’s plan to rescue the public broadcaster is contained in draft legislation from Communications Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, it details their plan to collect SABC TV license revenue beyond their own database through a change in legislation.
Such changes would make private companies like pay-TV providers, as well as local and global video streaming services in South Africa, responsible for ensuring that their consumers have a valid TV license or to add it on as a fee, regardless of whether or not they watch the SABC - owners of tablets and laptops would also be forced to pay a TV license.
Yolande van Biljon, SABC CFO, told parliament in February that the SABC sits with a massive 76% SABC TV license deficit, meaning that 76% of South African TV households that the public broadcaster are aware of, and send a SABC TV license bill to, do not bother to pay their annual license fee.
Calvo Mawela, MultiChoice Group CEO, has stated emphatically that MultiChoice "can't be collecting for the SABC. Our position is simply very clear: We can't be held responsible for collecting money on behalf of the SABC. The SABC itself needs to find a way to collect such monies."
