SABC1 is set to introduce Just Travel SA, a nine-episode travel series, to its early evening schedule from 26 October 2026. Produced by Black Brain Pictures and hosted by Lungile Radu and Pearl Thusi, the half-hour programme will air at 18:00, with each episode exploring a different South African province alongside a local guide.
The series is structured around advertiser-funded programming (AFP), with financial support from the Tourism Business Council of South Africa and Tourism Marketing South Africa. Rather than being funded through the SABC’s conventional content commissioning budget, the production is backed by external tourism-sector partners seeking to promote domestic destinations and travel experiences.
Each episode will feature local personalities and guides, with guests including Mapaseka Koetle for the Free State, Clement Maosa for Limpopo and Sweet Guluva for KwaZulu-Natal. The programme will showcase travel options at different price points, from approximately R1,050 per day to higher-end luxury experiences.
The format illustrates how advertiser-funded programming can help public broadcasters maintain locally relevant content in prominent schedule slots while limiting their direct production expenditure. For sponsors, the model offers a platform to integrate destination marketing into a television format with national reach, while producers gain an opportunity to develop and deliver content through a commercially supported arrangement.
For South African production companies, AFP can provide an alternative route to market as broadcasters face pressure on commissioning budgets. It also creates opportunities for partnerships between media businesses, tourism organisations and other sectors seeking to reach audiences through locally produced content.
However, the model raises important questions about editorial independence and transparency. When sponsors fund programming, broadcasters must ensure that commercial objectives do not undermine editorial standards, audience trust or the distinction between independent editorial content and promotional messaging.
As Just Travel SA enters SABC1’s early evening schedule, it offers a practical example of how public broadcasters can explore alternative content-financing models. Its longer-term value will depend on whether the arrangement delivers benefits for the broadcaster, producer and tourism partners while maintaining a clear public-service purpose.
