Gqeberha – Wednesday, 1 November 2023 – The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is excited to announce its inaugural ‘SABC Half Marathon’ in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in the Eastern Cape and the Vukani Multi Sports Club, who are the official race organizers.

The ‘SABC Half Marathon’ will take place on Saturday 18 November 2023 at Kings Beach, Gqeberha, Eastern Cape and will compromise of a 21km, 10km run and a 5km fun walk or run and will be broadcast live on SABC radio stations Umhlobo Wenene FM, trufm and Radio 2000. This all-exciting half marathon race serves as another opportunity for the SABC to engage with its audiences.

Registration fee for the race is R120 for a 21km and R80 for participants over 60 years old. The 10km run is R80 and the 5km is R50. The theme of this year’s race is ‘PHAKAMA’, which means to ‘stand up’. The SABC regards this theme is a clarion call for all participants to rally behind any because they believe in.  In establishing this event, the SABC and its partners are cognisant of the existence of the social ills that the South African citizens are facing and registering for this half marathon, one can run to raise further awareness and stand up against Gender-based Violence, the rising numbers of crime and unemployment.

A portion of the proceeds from registration fees will go towards the Thuthuzela Rape Crisis Centre which is a centre for rape victims at Dora Nginza Hospital precinct in the Nelson Mandela Bay/ Gqeberha and Tree of Joy; an initiative that aims to provide a Christmas gift to those in Port Elizabeth who otherwise would not receive one.

The overall prize money for the race, spread across all categories is R50 000, and is sponsored by Nedbank.

Ms Ayanda Makaula, SABC Eastern Cape Regional Operations Manager stated, “With the inaugural theme of the ‘SABC Half Marathon’ being ‘PHAKAMA’, we are encouraging the public to participate and come walk or run to promote a cause they believe in. Phakama and come show your support and run for it!”.

Makaula further said, “The SABC has a history of being a dominant player in the space of marathons, having served as the official broadcaster for many years for top South African track and field championships such as the Comrades and Two Oceans Marathons, as well as the Soweto and Cape Town Marathons. In acknowledging the power and impact of sports and enjoining it with the power of SABC broadcast platforms, the inaugural ‘SABC Half Marathon’ will serve as another platform to allow our audiences voices to be heard”.

“It remains our collective responsibility as a community, to take a stand and take action to support the 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children campaign by registering for the SABC Half marathon in aid of the Thuthuzela Rape Crisis centre, situated at the Dora Nginza hospital precinct”, says Nelson Mandela Bay Deputy Executive Mayor, Cllr Babalwa Lobishe.

The registration details for the race are as follows:

• Online entries can be accessed at www.zsports.co.za/sabchalfmarathon or you can get your manual entries at the SABC offices in Gqeberha and at Brian Bands in Newton Park, Eastern Cape.
• The manual entries at Brian Bands will close on Wednesday, 15 of November. Online entries will NOT CLOSE.
• Late entries will also be done at the venue on the 17 November between 15h00 – 19h00 on Friday and late registration will also be available at the race venue from 5am.
• Everyone will get a MEDAL and a FINISHERS certificate when they complete the race.

ENDS

Issued By: Group Communications

Media Enquiries: Mmoni Seapolelo (Acting Group Executive: Corporate Affairs & Marketing)

Seapolelomv@sabc.co.za | T. 011 714 3057 | C. 073 688 1590

Polokwane – Tuesday, 24 October 2023 – The South African Broadcasting Corporation’s Limpopo based radio station Thobela FM, has learnt with heavy hearts the passing of its presenter Johanna Seboishi Seloga (JJ Menu) who passed away on Monday 23 October 2023.

JJ Menu joined Thobela FM in 2007 and presented many shows including ‘Thoba Matswalo’, and ‘Re mmogo’. JJ was quite popular with the Sunday Show ‘Lesang bana’ and was also producing the programme ‘Moremogolo’.

Her presence on-air and at the station will be sorely missed.

Limpopo Combo Business Manager Madikana Matjila says, “We all are hurt by JJ’s passing and wish to send our heartfelt condolences to the family and all our listeners. We hurt also that millions of children and families have lost a servant, as JJ delivered with passion our children’s religions programming, as well as our all-time favourite ‘Moremogolo’ where she served as a producer. We wish to lastly thank all our listeners for sending us their messages of support in this difficult time.”

The SABC extends its condolences to the family and colleagues at large.

ENDS

Issued By: Group Communications

Media Enquiries: Mmoni Seapolelo (Acting Group Executive: Corporate Affairs & Marketing)

Seapolelomv@sabc.co.za | T. 011 714 3057 | C. 073 688 1590

Johannesburg – Thursday, 12 October 2023 – The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is pleased to announce that the Radio Park Building has been declared safe by Johannesburg Emergency Services following a fire incident that occurred earlier today. Electricity supply has also been restored.

The SABC would like to express gratitude to the Johannesburg Emergency services and all the role players who ensured that this unfortunate event was dealt with promptly while prioritising the safety of employees.

ENDS

Issued By: Group Communications

Media Enquiries: Mmoni Seapolelo (Acting Group Executive: Corporate Affairs & Marketing)

Seapolelomv@sabc.co.za | T. 011 714 3057 | C. 073 688 1590

Johannesburg – Thursday, 12 October 2023 – The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) can confirm a fire incident at its headquarters, in the Radio campus in Auckland Park.

Staff members have been evacuated from the affected building and an investigation into what caused the fire is also underway. Contingency measures are being implemented and the safety of all employees is prioritized.

The Corporation will provide a further update once the emergency services have surveyed the situation.

Ends

Issued By:                                Group Communications

Media Enquiries:                      Ms. Mmoni Seapolelo (Acting Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing)

Seapolelomv@sabc.co.za | T. 011 714 3057 | C. 073 688 159

Gqeberha – Tuesday 10 October 2023 – Umhlobo Wenene FM, one of South Africa’s leading radio stations committed to promoting local culture and music, is thrilled to announce an exciting partnership with the Berlin November Horse Racing Event. This strategic collaboration will see the station creating and promoting an unforgettable music festival entitled, “Khula NoMhlobo Berlin November Summer Stage”, set to take place on the 25^th  of November 2023, in Berlin near East London, South Africa. The festival, themed “Growing with Berlin November,” aims to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the Berlin November.

The partnership will create a synergistic platform that enhances the overall attendee experience at the Berlin November event through a unique and immersive musical experience while increasing Umhlobo Wenene FM’s brand visibility. The festival’s diverse demographic aligns perfectly with Umhlobo Wenene FM’s programming, allowing for meaningful connections with the audience. The event encompasses a diverse, curated music lineup, captivating stage design, cultural displays, and a variety of local cuisine and beverages. South African artists that will be featured include Mörda Bongz, Mr. Thela, Somizi, 047, Vusi Nova, Kaylow, Jaziel Brothers, Botswana artist Dato Seiko, Big Xhosa and many more. There will be MC’s and DJs from Umhlobo Wenene FM which will include Lusanda Mbane, Amaza Ntshanga, PastorTheDJ, Luckeez Mfowethu, Yareez and more.

Mr. Loyiso Bala, Business Manager for Umhlobo Wenene FM said “The “Khula NoMhlobo Berlin November Summer Stage” music festival will not only celebrate a decade of the Berlin November event but also exemplify the progress and growth of Umhlobo Wenene FM, aligning seamlessly with the station’s marketing themes for the year, which started with Impolo Yabahlobo and Khenketha Nomhlobo. The natural progression to Khula Nomhlobo is the station’s celebration of music, culture and progress, representing a collective effort to enhance our listener’s experience with the station. We look forward to leaving an indelible mark on our diverse audience and contributing to the broader success of this esteemed event through this one-of-a-kind partnership”.

More information on the event can be found on www.umhlobowenenefm.co.za

ENDS

Issued By: Group Communications

Media Enquiries: Mmoni Seapolelo (Acting Group Executive: Corporate Affairs & Marketing)

Seapolelomv@sabc.co.za | T. 011 714 3057 | C. 073 688 1590

Johannesburg-Saturday, 7 October 2023 – The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Radio portfolio once again reaffirmed its status as a dominant player in the radio broadcasting industry by receiving 107 nominations for the 2023 Radio Awards.

These nominations, which cut across a variety of categories, attest to the SABC radio brands’ ability to provide engaging and quality content in the ever-evolving landscape of radio broadcasting.

Acting Group Executive for SABC Radio, Mr. Siphelele Sixaso stated, “this recognition is a great honour for the Corporation. It is with profound gratitude that I take this opportunity to acknowledge our on-air talent as well as those working behind the scenes to ensure that our radio brands remain at the forefront of the industry whilst delivering exceptionally on our mandate. In addition to continuing to attract the best talent, we look forward to being a training ground for aspiring radio pioneers and a broadcaster of choice for millions of listeners.”

In an environment where media consumption habits are constantly developing, the SABC Radio portfolio remains committed to staying ahead of the curve in terms of innovation and providing quality content aimed at enhancing audience engagement and growing its radio brands.

Radio-Awards-2023-Finalists-List_004-5-October-2023

Ends

Issued By:                               Group Communications

Media Enquiries:                     Ms. Mmoni Seapolelo (Acting Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing)

Seapolelomv@sabc.co.za | T. 011 714 3057 | C. 073 688 159

Johannesburg – Thursday, 5 October 2023 – The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is pleased to announce that the Corporation will be broadcasting the Cricket World Cup 2023 following further negotiations with the rights holder, Multichoice (SuperSport) for the sub-licensing of the Cricket World Cup 2023 free-to-air broadcasting rights.

Both parties have reached an agreement that enables the SABC to fulfil its public service broadcaster’s mandate of broadcasting sports of national interest as well ensuring that all Cricket fans enjoy the much-anticipated world’s spectacle. The SABC will broadcast all South African games, including the semi-final, final and closing ceremony.

The public can catch the Cricket World Cup 2023 for free on the following SABC platforms; SABC 3 (DSTV 193, DTT and Analogue), sabcsport.com and SABC Plus. Regrettably, MultiChoice has restricted the broadcast of the Cricket World Cup 2023 on the OVHD (eMedia Platform).  The SABC has formally logged a complaint with the Competition Commission regarding this behaviour of Multichoice. To mitigate the block out of the Cricket on OVHD, the SABC has approached eMedia to jointly acquire the Cricket World Cup 2023 rights from MultiChoice to ensure all eMedia OVHD customers are able to view these games.Unfortunately, eMedia has not agreed to this.

Ends

Issued By:                             Group Communications

Media Enquiries:                   Ms. Mmoni Seapolelo (Acting Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing)

                                         Seapolelomv@sabc.co.za | T. 011 714 3057 | C. 073 688 1590

Johannesburg – Tuesday, 3 October 2023 – Following the extensive negotiations with Multichoice (SuperSport) for the sub-licensing of the Cricket World Cup 2023 free-to-air broadcasting rights, the SABC regrets to announce that the Corporation was not successful in securing these rights for South African audiences.

The SABC has once again been disadvantaged in securing the broadcasting rights of one of the sporting codes classified as sport of national interest by ICASA due to the non-affordable sub-licensing fees and restrictive conditions imposed by Multichoice. This development is regrettable, and the Corporation would like to apologise to all Cricket fans and all South Africans.

The SABC remains committed to broadcasting sports of national interest as mandated, conversely this commitment will not be carried out in a manner that is detrimental to the organisation but provide a positive return on investment.

Ends

Issued By:                               Group Communications

Media Enquiries:                    Ms. Mmoni Seapolelo (Acting Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing)

                                          Seapolelomv@sabc.co.za | T. 011 714 3057 | C. 073 688 1590

Johannesburg – Friday, 29 September 2023 – The South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) 2022/23 Annual Report was tabled in Parliament today. Throughout the 2022/23 financial year, the SABC continued to deliver on its mandate to educate, inform and entertain, as well as consistently impact and improve the lives of South Africans. Despite the challenges with the funding model and external and internal factors that negatively impacted the financial results, it is encouraging that during this period, SABC video entertainment programmes formed part of the top 20 most watched programmes and SABC radio stations retained dominance with over 26 million listeners weekly according to the Broadcast Research Council (BRC).

In addition, amongst its key highlights the Corporation launched its first streaming App, SABC Plus, which signals a new digital era for the organisation and a key accomplishment in further addressing universal access for South Africans. During the year under review, the SABC also brought back a flagship property, the METRO FM Music Awards after a brief hiatus hosted in partnership with Mpumalanga Province.

After seven (7) years of consistently improving net losses, the year under review unfortunately saw a significant regression. This is as a result of revenue that was 7.9% less than 2021/22 financial year and 27% less than budget. The SABC made a net loss of R1.13b. This translates to a R949m more than the previous financial year. The cash reserves consequently decreased by R709m (60%) as compared to the R300m recorded in the previous year.

The significant under performance of revenue can be attributed to a variety of internal and external factors including but not limited to the growth in audience ratings that did not meet expectations, the impact of analogue switch off and loadshedding, the inability to successfully monetise sport properties and other content and the increasing TV License evasion rate. In parallel the unfunded cost of public service mandate, which was R817m in 2022/23 financial year and Government funding that comprises only approximately 3% of revenue streams also negatively impacted the financial results.

While in its final year of implementation the SABC could report that nearly all the activities committed to in the Turnaround Strategy were implemented, the inability of the activities associated with revenue improvement and legislation to translate into improved financial results was a major setback.

This delayed the growth phase the Corporation was aspiring to achieve at this time. The utilisation of the bailout funding continued to be rigidly managed within the set allocation criteria for content and capex investments.

Due to the significant revenue gap that resulted in the increased net loss and the delayed financial benefit realisation of the Turnaround Strategy, the Auditor General of South Africa concluded that material uncertainty of the SABC’s ability to maintain its Going Concern status exists and is so pervasive that a Disclaimer Opinion was issued. This is despite a 70% reduction in Audit findings over a 5-year period with significant improvement in financial controls. There are no audit qualifications remaining in 2022/23 financial year related to the preparation of and fair presentation of the financial statements and the internal control environment.

With the onboarding of the new Board, after the Corporation was without a Board for six (6) months, the Board has prioritised the stabilisation of revenue generation and various interventions that have or are being implemented. While these are gaining traction the Corporation continues to manage its available resources conservatively to meet its financial obligations and continues to deliver on its public service mandate.

With the imminent positive developments in the legislative environment, the SABC is confident of turning the corner towards financial sustainability and growth. The SABC is also excited about the opportunities SABC Plus holds, early successes with new content are yielding results and planning for the 2024 National Elections are on track. As such the Corporation is committed to intensifying its efforts in the execution of its mandate.

Ends

Issued By:                             Group Communications

Media Enquiries:                   Ms. Mmoni Seapolelo (Acting Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing)

Seapolelomv@sabc.co.za | T. 011 714 3057 | C. 073 688 1590

Johannesburg – Friday, 22 September 2023 – The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is thrilled to announce the renewal of its 404 News channel available on DSTV, cementing an exclusive content carriage agreement that promises to keep redefining the broadcasting landscape. 

For our audience without access to pay TV, SABC will offer a multi-lingual 24-hour news channel (SABC Lehae) available on DTT and DTH. The channel’s value proposition will be extended with an addition of the English language to make the product diverse and appealing to reflect South African demographics.

ENDS

Issued By: Group Communications

Media Enquiries: Mmoni Seapolelo (Acting Group Executive: Corporate Affairs & Marketing)

Seapolelomv@sabc.co.za | T. 011 714 3057 | C. 073 688 1590