The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) is preparing to unlock new revenue by making its extensive archive of old shows available on its SABC+ streaming platform — and potentially licensing content globally. SABC CEO Nomsa Chabeli recently informed Parliament that global platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime profit from new productions and older, archived content. The SABC aims to follow suit by tapping into its rich catalogue.
SABC+ was launched in late 2022, originally as a rebranding of TelkomOne. By May 2024, it had reached around a million monthly active users. A major platform upgrade in July 2024 introduced improved streaming quality, catch-up features, and broader smart TV compatibility, signalling the broadcaster’s intent to make SABC+ a cornerstone of its future.
However, the financial landscape is challenging. According to its forthcoming 2030 strategy, the SABC plans to increase consultant spending by 86% and production costs by 260%, with R127 million set aside for consulting and legal fees and R24 million for market research this year. Meanwhile, only one of the broadcaster’s three TV channels — SABC 1 — is profitable, leaving the organisation reliant on external borrowing, such as loans from the Industrial Development Corporation, to fund new projects.
Chabeli is confident, stating, “SABC+ will be a standalone business unit with dedicated resources. To compete in streaming, we must be focused and deliberate in how we approach the market and monetise.” SABC’s communications head, Mmoni Ngubane, confirmed that the platform will soon introduce banner advertisements to increase its revenue streams, although SABC+ remains unprofitable for now.
Industry veteran Garry Rathbone, former SABC Sport general manager, argues that the broadcaster should go further: “SABC+ is the most future-proof option. Every resource should focus on driving advertising, audience reach, and retention in that space.” He points out that despite commanding South Africa’s largest audiences, the SABC struggles to generate corresponding advertising income — unlike U.S. free-to-air networks or even the BBC (if it allowed adverts).
With competitors like MultiChoice capturing advertising market share with smaller audiences, the question remains: can SABC transform SABC+ into a digital leader?
