The SABC’s fight to make a profit after years of losses is the focus in this edition of Business Day Spotlight. Host Mudiwa Gavaza is joined by Tendai Matore, acting CFO at the SABC.
The auditor-general, for a second consecutive year, issued an unqualified audit opinion on the corporation’s financial statements for the year ended March 2025.
The broadcaster saw a modest 1.3% growth in revenue to R5.152bn, which was outpaced by a 3% rise in expenditure to R5.435bn. Overall, it recorded a net loss of R253.3m for the period.
Matore explains that the SABC is one of the most commercially driven public broadcasters in the world. This is because funding from its parent, the state, accounts for only 3% of its budget.
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The company has to compete with MultiChoice (now Canal+), eMedia, Primedia, African Media Entertainment and others to fund the rest of its budget, particularly around advertising.
Through the discussion, the finance chief outlines the SABC’s financial position; strategy to make profit; plan to monetise its digital presence; and growth in online streaming.
The top three expense drivers are content, labour and employee costs, and signal distribution.
• Business Day Spotlight is an Arena Podcasts Production.
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