eMedia, the owner of E-tv, has published its condensed financial statements for the year ending March 31, 2025, revealing an impressive advertising revenue of US$124 million. This figure marks a new high, surpassing the US$120 million achieved in 2023/24.
Despite acknowledging a year-over-year decline in national TV advertising expenditure, eMedia attributed its revenue growth to effective management during a volatile economic period marked by fluctuations in the rand and limited investment opportunities.
“eMedia considers its financial performance satisfactory given the challenging circumstances,” the company stated. They indicated that television advertising revenue remains the primary source of income, although the overall trend in traditional TV advertising has faced some retraction.
For the financial year 2024/25, eMedia reported total revenues of R3.2 billion, a 3% increase compared to the previous year. “Even with the adverse effects of macroeconomic conditions on national television advertising spending, the group finished the year with US$124 million, rising from US$120 million last year,” they noted, highlighting this achievement as the highest in the group’s history.
eMedia’s advertising revenue outperformed the broader market, attributed to its strong position in securing prime-time audience share, which rose to 34.4% in March 2025, up from 33.5% the previous year. This growth outpaced competitors like DStv, which holds a 30.5% share, and the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) at 26%.
The SABC has expressed ongoing challenges in generating advertising revenue, largely due to uncertainties surrounding the migration from analogue to digital television. The South African government is pushing for this transition through a digital migration project, but a final deadline for the switch-off has yet to be established.
In a recent appearance before the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts, SABC CEO Nomsa Chabeli indicated that advertisers are hesitant to commit to long-term bulk deals due to the unpredictability of the switch-off date. “We rely on selling audience access, and any loss of viewers would diminish our value,” Chabeli explained, pointing out that many advertisers prefer to purchase in advance.
Despite the uncertainty, the SABC increased its advertising revenue by 7% in 2023/24. eMedia also acknowledged the complications the analogue switch-off introduces, warning that a hard switch could leave many households without access to free-to-air television.
After the government postponed the analogue switch-off deadline from December 31, 2024, to March 31, 2025, eMedia opted to take legal action against the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies. A court ruled in favour of eMedia, blocking the shift of analogue transmissions to the new date. The final decision regarding the switch-off date is still being deliberated.
