Johannesburg, 16^th July 2021- SABC1 is pleased to announce the return of our tabloid entertainment show The Real Goboza (RGB) as it debuts with season 15 on Saturday 17^th July 2021 at 19:30.
Our hosts Samora Mangesi and Sinazo Yolwa joined by insert presenter Mulisa Mudau will continue to bring new scandals to our viewers and fans with a reinvigorated creative spirit and the same powerful energy that has made The Real Goboza show the viewer’s favourite for over 10 years.
 
RGB which will be broadcasting its final season, will reflect on the best moments and celebrate how far the show has come, revisiting the most epic moments, biggest scandals, and iconic celebrity interviews as we wrap up 10 years of intriguing celebrity scandal coverage, whilst at the same time keeping viewers informed with current gossip and updates of the entertainment industry.
The show will engage our followers on social media platforms as they mention their favourite moments.
Even with Covid restrictions, RGB will take great care in giving the viewer exclusive access to A-list events. Putting our celebrity sense of style in the spotlight on the SAMA’s red-carpet, one of the biggest and unmissable moments on the entertainment calendar.
 
Tune into SABC 1 every Saturday at 19:30, for the final season of The Real Goboza, starting on the 17^th July 2021.
 
For more information, interview opportunities and publicity images please contact the SABC1 PR office.
 
For media enquiries: –
Caroline Phalakatshela
Publicity Specialist – Video Entertainment
072 382 2032/ phalakatshelamc@sabc.co.za

Johannesburg – Friday, 16 July 2021 – The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) regrets to announce that it has been denied the opportunity of broadcasting the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Champions League Final between Kaizer Chiefs and Egypt‘s Al Ahly.  The SABC was surprised and disappointed to learn yesterday that CAF had sold the exclusive rights to broadcast the final to the pay-TV broadcaster, Supersport.
Despite the SABC meeting CAF’s asking price for the free-to-air rights, the offer was rejected on the basis that CAF has signed an exclusive deal with Supersport that covers all rights, including the free-to-air rights, for this match. The agreement between CAF and Supersport is wrong as it places this showpiece of African club football behind a pay-wall, effectively denying millions of South African football fans the opportunity to watch the game.
The SABC had always intended to broadcast this historic match given the massive support Kaizer Chiefs enjoys in South Africa and acknowledging that this is the club’s first CAF Champions League Final. The public broadcaster therefore engaged in good faith negotiations with CAF but for some reason CAF withheld information about their exclusive deal with the pay-TV broadcaster until yesterday.
Considering the current difficult conditions in the country and the cohesive power of sport, the SABC has made every reasonable effort to ensure that the match would be accessible to all South African via our free-to-air channels. SABC management has also tried to reach out to the leadership of CAF in this regard.
It simply cannot be in the public interest for CAF and Supersport to contractually exclude millions of non-pay-TV subscribers from watching this game. Furthermore, it is disreputable for a pay-TV broadcaster to acquire free-to-air rights with the intention of blocking free-to-air broadcasters from using those rights. At a time when economic exclusion is the biggest issue facing South Africa, not only does this deal between CAF and Supersport perpetuate the divide in our society but it shows scant regard for the issues facing our people.
The failure of ICASA’s Sports Rights regulations to deal with this situation means the public broadcaster has no recourse to the regulator even though broadcasting the CAF Champions League Final – involving one of South Africa’s biggest clubs – is clearly part of SABC’s public mandate.
This is a very sad day for Kaizer Chiefs fans and all football lovers in South Africa when CAF, the custodian of the people’s game on the African continent, agrees to exclude millions of people who cannot afford pay-TV.
Despite this unfortunate outcome driven by two parties who do not have public service obligations, and clearly do not have the poor’s interest at heart, the SABC remains committed to bringing big sporting events to all South Africans.
END
Issued By:                           Group Communications
 
Media Enquiries:                 Ms. Gugu Ntuli (Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing)
NtuliGM@sabc.co.za|T. 011 714 3311|C. 071 877 0513

Johannesburg – Monday, 12 July 2021 – The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has learnt with sadness of the passing away of its former Board Chairperson, Dr. Ben Ngubane.
Dr. Ngubane was appointed as Board Chairperson on 10 January 2010 and he resigned from the organisation on 8 March 2013.  Under his tenure the SABC delivered on its public mandate with one of its biggest achievements being the official broadcaster of the historic 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The SABC would like to thank him for his immense contribution and would like to send heartfelt condolences to the Ngubane family.
END
Issued By:                           Group Communications
 
Media Enquiries:                 Ms. Gugu Ntuli (Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing)
NtuliGM@sabc.co.za|T. 011 714 3311|C. 071 877 0531

Johannesburg, 7^th July 2021- SABC1’s primetime music show Live Amp returns with a new season, themed The Last Dance, as it bids farewell to its loyal viewers and fans after more than decade on screens.  The final season premieres this Friday 9^th July 2021 at 19:30.
This weekly music show has been the prime destination for Mzansi’s latest hits, the storyboard popular music culture and the party starter meeting point for millions of viewers over the years.
 
Presented by DJ Speedsta and DJ Lamiez, with cameos and surprise guest appearances Live Amp; The Last Dance will have reminiscent elements; throwing back to some of the most iconic and influential moments from the show, celebrating the musical evolution and taking viewers down memory lane.
“The show has grown to become synonymous with youth Friday night rituals from more than a decade. With season 25 being earmarked as the final season of this flagship title, the series content plan has been devised to reflective and celebratory of iconic moments and success achieved by the show from a talent development, socio-cultural contribution, creative innovation, and all-round leading music tv show brand in Mzansi. The best, most memorable and unique content moments will be reinterpreted for the audiences combined with newly curated music performances.  You can’t afford to miss out on a single episode of Live AMP this season. This is set to be one of the biggest seasons and ode to pop culture in Mzansi. “Says Sane Zondi, SABC1 Programmes Manager.
 
Tune into SABC 1 every Friday at 19:30 as we turn up to the final song in the final season of Live Amp, starting on the 9^th July 2021.
 
For more information, interview opportunities and publicity images please contact the SABC1 PR office.
 
For media enquiries: –
Caroline Phalakatshela
Publicity Specialist – Video Entertainment
072 382 2032/ phalakatshelamc@sabc.co.za

Johannesburg, 2^nd July 2021 – The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has learnt with sadness of the untimely passing of actor and businessman, Mutodi Neshehe on Thursday, 1 July 2021.
Mr Neshehe was a well-known face to SABC2 viewers for his role as Ndalamo Mukwevho on the popular soapie Muvhango. Other SABC TV productions that he appeared on are Skwizas, 7de Laan, Generations The Legacy and Mamello.
 
He also featured in the season 4 of a dancing competition Strictly Come Dancing which was broadcast on SABC2 in 2008.  The SABC sends its heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and industry colleagues of Mr. Mutodi Neshehe.
 
Mr. Neshehe will be missed for his professionalism, dedication, and commitment to the craft.
 
For media enquiries:
Caroline Phalakatshela
Publicity Specialist – Video Entertainment
072 382 2032
 

Johannesburg – Monday, 28 June 2021 – At public hearings held by ICASA today, the SABC welcomed draft regulations requiring that Multichoice and other pay-TV operators may only carry SABC channels “subject to commercially negotiable terms”.
Leading the SABC team, GCEO Madoda Mxakwe said:
“This Must Carry regulatory review process is vitally important not only because our industry has fundamentally changed in the last 13 years but also because ICASA is seeking to correct ‘a regulatory wrong’ first made in 2008.”
In 2008 ICASA’s Must Carry regulations had left out the phrase “subject to commercially negotiable terms”, without any justification for deviating from the language of the statute. The regulations were never changed and have required the public broadcaster to provide its three expensively produced channels to pay-TV operators for free for the last 13 years.
ICASA’s current draft regulations have finally corrected this omission and allow the SABC to exercise its statutory right to commercially negotiate carriage fees for its channels.
The SABC committed to ICASA that universal access remained an ongoing public mandate requirement for the public broadcaster. Mxakwe noted that the three SABC channels are now simultaneously accessible on several free, non-subscription    platforms. These include satellite via Openview and         Sentech, on  DTT via Sentech and streaming via TelkomOne, Viu and others.
Mxakwe said:
“The SABC regards its Universal Access obligations as an ongoing, sacred and non-negotiable public mandate that does not end simply because it may have been achieved on a multiplatform basis”.
“It is therefore unfortunate that Multichoice has sought to portray SABC’s statutory right to have the law correctly applied as having a ‘purely commercial’ motivation and that SABC wants to ‘sidestep its public broadcasting mandate in favour of its financial interests’. This is an extraordinary, unsubstantiated and untrue claim. The public broadcaster is simply seeking to exercise a legitimate statutory right to negotiate carriage fees which has been denied to it for 13 years”.
Multichoice had previously claimed that the “purpose of Must Carry is not to create a revenue stream for SABC”. Mxakwe responded that Multichoice had ignored the language of the legislation which clearly envisaged commercial negotiations.
“We ask the Authority today – if there is to be no revenue from the carriage of SABC channels, what would be the purpose of commercial negotiations?”
That said, the SABC’s over-dependence on commercial revenue is no secret and the public broadcaster has made submissions to government on increasing government grants and introducing a public broadcasting household levy. But this dependence on commercial revenue is unlikely to change anytime soon.
Mxakwe said:
“The SABC cannot sit on its hands and fail to protect the interest of the Corporation while lengthy policy and regulatory processes unfold. The Board and management of the SABC have a fiduciary duty to ensure that the long-term interests of the Corporation are protected. This includes the lawful exercise of the SABC’s commercial rights”.
The SABC presentation to ICASA demonstrated that, in terms of overall audience numbers as at March 2021, twenty of the top thirty most-watched programmes on DStv were SABC programmes. While the presence of SABC channels on the DStv platform were often not the primary reason for subscriber take-up, Mxakwe said it was clear that:

• The growth, retention and targeting of so-called “mass market subscribers” is a core commercial strategy for the Multichoice Group;
• SABC’s programming has the highest audience numbers on the DStv platform; and
• This programming is a material factor in the growth, retention and targeting of mass market subscribers.

Mxakwe said:
The Authority should also note that nearly one-fifth of the cost of SABC programming is funded by public funds (via licence fees and government grants). It is clearly iniquitous for the largest video entertainment company on the African continent to be guaranteed free content that has been partially funded by the public. In effect, you have a public broadcaster and public funds partially subsidising the programming costs of the largest video entertainment business in Africa. This is not sustainable. Nor is it fair”.
The SABC opposed MultiChoice’s proposal that “the Authority place the proposed amendments to the Must Carry Regulations on hold pending policy certainty”.
Mxakwe said:
“After 13 years of SABC enduring an unfair, ultra vires regulation, it would not be in the public interest to place these draft regulations on hold, potentially for another few years. The regulations should be amended as soon as possible to align with the Act – as an interim solution – with a sunset clause to scrap regulations once policy and the enabling legislation changes”.
END
Issued By:                           Group Communications
 
Media Enquiries:                 Ms. Gugu Ntuli (Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing)
NtuliGM@sabc.co.za|T. 011 714 3311|C. 071 877 0513

Johannesburg – Thursday, 24 June 2021 – Tonight the South African Broadcasting Corporation, will be hosting a live broadcast of the official launch of its Sports Channel, following the successful soft launch of its 24 Hour Sports Channel on the SABC DTT service, the Openview set-top-box and the TelkomONE mobile streaming platform in April 2021. This launch will also feature Team SAs announcement of the second team squad for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games on the Sports Channel.
The event will be live on SABC Sport Channel on Openview 124, the SABC’s DTT service and TelkomONE’s mobile platform from 19:00.
In addition, the public can also view the launch live on Youtube on SABC Sport Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CfGWDqEe40.
The live broadcast of Team SA’s announcement of the second team squad for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games will be carried on the public broadcaster’s free to air channel SABC 2 at 20h00.
The official hashtags for the event are #SABCSportLaunch and #RememberTheUnforgettable
Mr. Gary Rathbone – GM: SABC Sport stated that “SABC Sport has always been the ultimate sporting home to the nation and has brought to South Africa unforgettable sporting events over the years. We are excited that as SABC Sport we will be part of the historic moment of unveiling the athletes who will be proudly representing the nation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. For the public broadcaster, we are aware of the role we also play in touching the hearts and minds of the public.  Through the events we showcase on the SABC platforms, we want to inspire up-and-coming athletes in the various sporting disciplines to reach for their dreams”.
Mr. Rathbone further commented “Our newly launched Sports channel on the DTT, Openview and TelkomONE platforms, must also be commended. Since the Channel became operational in April this year, its audience figures have been positive, with latest TAMS figure showing a total reach of over 2 million, a 5 % share of the National Television Market. On Openview alone, the channel has established itself amongst the top 10 on the bouquet, with a total reach of over 1.4 million, representing a 24% share of the Openview market. This is really positive start for an exciting new Sport Channel that South Africans will be able to access without needing to pay a subscription”.
The SABC Sport Channel is committed to providing compelling and exciting local and international sporting content for all sports loving South Africans.
END
Issued By:                           Group Communications
 
Media Enquiries:                 Ms. Gugu Ntuli (Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing)
NtuliGM@sabc.co.za|T. 011 714 3311|C. 071 877 0531

 
Johannesburg, 22^nd June 2021 – The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has learned with sadness of the untimely passing of actor Luzuko Nteleko on Monday 21st June 2021 at the age of 36.
Mr. Nteleko appeared in several SABC productions such as Muvhango, Gauteng Maboneng, Isidingo, Keeping Score, Mfolozi Street, Streets of Mangaung, and Zone 14.
In joining the industry in mourning the loss of another talented actor the SABC sends its heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and industry colleagues of actor Luzuko Nteleko.
Mr. Nteleko will be missed dearly for his dedication and commitment to the craft.
 
For media inquiries:
Caroline Phalakatshela
Publicity Specialist – Video Entertainment
072 382 2032

Johannesburg, Tuesday, 22 June 2021-The South African Broadcast Corporation (SABC) radio station SAfm, would like to announce the resignation of its afternoon lifestyle show host, Ms. Phemelo Motene.  Ms. Motene joined SAfm in July 2019 as an anchor of ‘SAfm Life Happens’ which is broadcast weekdays from 13:00 – 15:00. Ms Motene began her radio career in 1999 as a newsreader on Metro Fm, known then as Radio Metro.  Shortly after joining the station, she took over from Romeo Khumalo as the weekend lunchtime host before leaving to a more demanding television job two years later. She thereafter joined Generations where she played Khensani Moroka, a lead role that was dearly loved by audiences until her departure in 2004. Her radio experience includes presenting The Weekend Breakfast on 702 as well as producing talk radio shows for broadcasting veterans like Jenny Cwrys Williams and Bruce Whitfield and the executive producer of the popular Friday Stand Ins.
 
Ms. Motene will be leaving SAfm at the end of June to pursue an opportunity outside of the SABC and  KG Moeketsi will be standing in until a replacement is finalised.
The station would like to wish Ms. Motene well on her future endeavors.  She is well versed in the radio talk show fraternity and we really value her contribution to the station and its listeners.  SAfm will in due course announce the new anchor of ‘SAfm Life Happens’ and will keep its listeners informed of any further developments –   Fortune Combo Acting Business Unit Manager, Kina Nhlengethwa.
 
END
Issued By:                              Group Communications
 
Media Enquiries:                      Ms. Gugu Ntuli (Group Executive: Corporate Affairs and Marketing)
NtuliGM@sabc.co.za|T. 011 714 3311|C. 071 877 0531