--
The SABC releases its 2016/2017 annual results --
Mon, 02 Oct 2017 11:36
--
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) announced its annual results for the 2016/2017 financial year. The SABC posted a net loss after tax of R977 million during the year under review. The organisation experienced financial constraints owing to revenue streams deteriorating at a rate of 6 per cent higher than the costs reduction. Cash and cash equivalents as at the end of 2016/17 financial year were R82 million compared to the previous year s R881 million. This significant decrease in cash reserves has resulted in the SABC not being able to pay its debts as they fall due.
Revenue and other income for the period under review was R7.6 billion (2016: R8.1 billion) which is a 6 per cent decrease year-on-year. Revenue is mainly derived from the primary revenue stream of advertising which decreased by 5 per cent to R5.6 billion (2016: R5.9 billion), sponsorships revenue also decreased by 18 per cent to R384 million (2016: R469 million), and TV license revenue also decreased by 7 per cent to R915 million (2016: R986 million) compared to prior year.
The corporation received an adverse audit opinion for the period under review. The factors which contributed to this adverse opinion include amongst others; going concern basis of accounting, property plant and equipment, irregular expenditure and deferred government grants.
Despite all these challenges, the SABC was able to deliver on its on its public service mandate, as set out by the Broadcasting Act No 4 of 1999 as amended, as well the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA).
SABC radio which consists of 15 Public Service Broadcasting (PBS) stations and three Public Commercial Service (PCS) stations, services all South Africans in their preferred language. The combined average number of 28.9 million listeners per week makes the SABC s radio offering a unique one that no other broadcaster can match. Radio stations embraced the effective synergy that digital media and radio offers to both the consumer and trade markets. All stations made extensive use of their respective websites to publish programming and marketing content and to keep listeners engaged beyond the point of traditional broadcasting.
In terms of television, the network continued to dominate the broadcasting landscape with the public service broadcaster s five television channels attracting, on average, 28.8 million (SABC1), 26.9 million (SABC2), 21 million (SABC3), 2.2 million (SABC News) and 1.4 million (SABC Encore) viewers in a typical month. Seventeen of the nation s Top 20 television programmes are carried on the SABC.
The organization was also able to deliver on its local content quotas with SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 achieving 80 per cent, 67 per cent and 53 per cent respectively. Across its radio stations, SABC also delivered local content above ICASA regulations. There were however some difficulties, when the local content directive distorted the licensing formats of some radio stations, leading to audience and revenue losses.
With regards to SABC News, it successfully delivered on the most anticipated political event of the year the 2016 Local Government Elections. As South Africa s only public service broadcaster, the SABC s role is most critical during an election period.
SABC Sport ensured the broadcast of sporting events such as the 2016 AFCON tournament; SA Sports Awards; 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games; the FIFA Club World Cup; Euro 2016; and an International Boxing Tournament featuring a local South African Boxer, the first international event to be showcased since the return of Boxing in 2015, the Cricket Inbound Tour as well as the Comrades Marathon, which is considered as amongst the best in terms of production and broadcast.
The acting group chief executive officer (AGCEO), Ms Nomsa Philiso stated that We are naturally disappointed with financial performance for the 2016/17 financial year. We are however encouraged by the great progress that is starting to show in the first quarter of the current financial year .
The AGCEO further commented that In particular costs containment measures are in place and financial prudence is exercised throughout. We are working hard to sustain this progress and to deal with all the outstanding issues raised by the Auditor- General .
During the year under review, the public service broadcaster won many prestigious awards and received numerous accolades, thereby confirming its status as South Africas top broadcaster. A total of 31 radio awards were won by the SABC, and SABC TV reclaimed its rightful spot and enjoyed a strong presence at a number of awards.
The SABC is committed in turning around its financial performance and will continue with the measures which have been put in place. The public service broadcaster will continue to serve the public of South Africa as it provides quality programming that is informative, educational and entertaining.
For the complete 2016/2017 SABC Annual Report, visit the SABC website.
Related Articles
-- --
-- --
-- Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. comments powered by Disqus
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
-- 
