THE SABC has unleashed debt collectors on households in arrears with TV licence fees, sending SMS reminders demanding payment.

This move comes as non-compliance continues to grow, with less than 20% of South African households currently paying their annual R265 licence fee.

According to reports, the TV licence was originally instituted to fund the public broadcaster and support local programming.

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However, with the rise of streaming services and digital content, many South Africans are questioning whether the fee is still necessary.

“We are seeing a significant decline in TV licence payments, which is putting pressure on our finances,” said SABC.

“We need to explore alternative funding models, but in the meantime, we must collect what is owed to us.”

Residents that we spoke to said they feel the licence fee is outdated and unfair.

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“It’s a tax on people who still have old TVs or don’t even watch SABC. I was forced to agree to pay monthly instalments as I could not afford it after not paying for years, I don’t even watch TV and I was avoiding getting blacklisted,” said an Upper Highway resident, Enock Gumede.

Another resident from Wyebank, Pearl Biyase, said she does not watch SABC. “Why should we subsidise a service we don’t use?”

Others said they feel the fee is a necessary contribution to public broadcasting.

“I think it’s a small price to pay for local content and news. I can not afford to stream online,” said a Clermont resident.

“We should support our public broadcaster, not abandon it. They have entertained us for many years,” added the resident.

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