Q: What is the SABC?
A: The SABC was established in 1936 in terms of legislation passed by parliament. It is a statutory body that does not receive any funding or subsidy from the central government.
The SABC is an impartial public broadcaster that is fair to all the people of South Africa and wants to give the full spectrum of its audience an accessible broadcasting service.
The SABC's mandate as a public broadcaster is to provide its listeners and viewers with educational, informational and entertainment programmes.
Q: Television Licences - Why?
A: The SABC does not depend on any funding or subsidy from the central government. To carry out its mandate and render its service, the SABC must use its income from licence fees.
The SABC offers a "world of choice..." news, actuality, international, drama, sports, recreational, religious and educational programmes.
The total spectrum of geographic and satellite signal distribution for 23 radio services and three television channels in eleven official languages is maintained.
Q: Who should pay a TV licence?
A: In terms of the current licence regulations, no individual or business is exempt from paying television licence fees.
Any person or organisation that owns a TV set must have a valid television licence. Since M-Net is a broadcasting service, anyone who wants to watch only M-Net must still pay television licence fees.
Businesses: Businesses such as hotels, restaurants and cafes must have a valid television licence for each TV set.
Dealers: Dealers that sell or hire out television sets must get a radio dealer's registration certificate at the post office. Dealers have to take out one demonstration licence irrespective of the number of television sets that they own.
Hiring/lending out television sets: Anyone who hires, uses or borrows a television set (irrespective of the period of use) must take out their own television licence, even if the legal owner has a valid television licence.
Holiday house/flat: If anyone has a television reception apparatus in a holiday house of flat that is used only by their direct dependants for holiday purposes, no extra licence is necessary. If the owner of a holiday house/flat hires it out to non-dependants, they have to take out an extra licence for that address.
A TV set used by the inmates of any correctional penitentiary must have a valid licence.
Q: What type of licence must I take out?
A: Anyone who is 70 years old or older and does not live with their dependants may take out a concessionary licence.
Anyone who receives a social pension (welfare) may take out a concessionary licence.
Anyone that does manual farm labour, is permanently employed by a farmer and permanently resident on the farm may take out a concessionary licence.
Anyone who owns or rents a farm and makes one common television set available to their labourers may take out a concessionary licence for that set.
Any blind person who is a registered member of a recognised association for the care of the blind may take out a concessionary licence.
Anyone who is a full-time student and lives in a hostel or on their own must pay a television licence for the TV set that they use.
Anyone who receives the signal of only one TV channel must pay the full licence rate.
Anyone who uses a monitor that is linked to a video cassette recorder must pay a television licence.
Anyone who watches M-Net or any other broadcasting service receives these signals and must pay a television licence.
Educational institutions: Formal educational institutions must take out one television licence, irrespective of the number of sets that are used for educational purposes. Hostels must take out a television licence for every television set that is in use.
Hospitals and clinics: Any hospital or Clinic supported by the state should take out only one television licence for all the television sets in use.
Since private hospitals and clinics are businesses, they have to take out a television licence for each set.
Old-age homes and children's homes: Old-age homes and children's homes that are supported by the state should take out only one television licence for all the television sets in use.
People in old-age homes who own their own television sets must take out a television licence for their own television sets.
Since private old-age homes operate like businesses they must take out a television licence for every television sets.
Q: What happens if I misplace my licence?
A: Anyone who misplaces their television licence must apply to the SABC in writing for a duplicate licence which costs R30.00(including VAT).
Q: What happens if I want a refund?
A: Anyone who wants a refund must apply to SABC Television Licences, Refunds Section, PO Box 94484, Aucklandpark, 2006, in writing. (The SABC is not obliged to refund licence fees. Applications are dealt with on merit.)
Q: What happens if I want a permit?
A: Permits are issued if a TV set is out of order/has no reception or if a TV set is temporarily/permanently placed in storage. Permits are valid for one licence year and have to be renewed annually by the SABC.
Q: How can I pay?
A: Television licence payments can be cash, cheque or debit order payments. Instalments and lump-sum payments are also accepted.
How and where can I pay?
Installments and lump-sum payments can be made at any of the following offices country wide: SABC, post office, Teljoy and Compu-Pay.
Debit order payments are dealt with only by the SABC and most Banks country wide.
Rates
The following television licence rates are applicable for the period from 1 October 1995 - 30 September 1996
Private licence (per household)
Lump-sum (annually) - R189.00
Monthly - R 19.00
Consession licence (per household)
Lump-sum - R 54.00
Monthly - R 8.00
Business (per set)
Lump-sum - R189.00
Monthly - R 19.00
Q: What will happen if I don't pay?
A: Licence fees are used to finance the services of the total spectrum of 23 radio stations and 3 television channels. The non-payment of licence fees could handicap these services and diminish the "world of choice".
To prevent this there is legislation that endorses the payment of television licence fees. The SABC's television licence representatives carry out inspections in terms of this legislation.
The licence representatives are authorised to impose penalties and to take the matter further if licensees fail to pay their television licence.
Such failure to pay a television licence is a criminal offence and anyone who is found guilty of this could get a court fine or prison sentence.
Professional debt-collecting agencies are also used to collect licence fees outstanding. In terms of legislation, these agencies are authorised to implement the law.
Q: Who can help me?
A: TELEVISION LICENCES
General enquiries: (011)330-9555
Fax: (011)330-9560/1
Regional Offices:
Pretoria (012)841-0111
Pietersburg (0152)297-0412
Durban (031)362-5111
Bloemfontein (051)47-0491
Port Elizabeth (041)391-1911
Cape Town (021)434-1155
SABC:
General enquiries (011)714-9111
DEFINITIONS
Television sets: Any radio apparatus that is equipped to convert any signal that is transmitted by a broadcasting service into sound and images.
Head of the household: In any household the owner or lessee of a house is the "head of the household".
Household: A household consists of parents and children who live on the same premises permanently. A family member who is directly dependent on a household and lives there permanently, as well as bona fide domestic servants who are permanently employed by a household and live on the premises permanently form part of that household.