MEDIA RELEASE: SOS HOSTED YET ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC SERVICE MEDIA SYMPOSIUM. 

The SOS Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS), in partnership with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), successfully hosted its second Annual Public Service Media Symposium on Friday, 3 October 2025, at the Southern Sun in Sandton.

Launched in 2024, the symposium has become a premier platform for reflections on the state of public service media (PSM) in South Africa. This year’s event, themed “Advancing Public Service Media in South Africa,” reaffirmed the essential role of the SABC in strengthening our democracy and ensuring that citizens, particularly the poor and marginalised, have access to credible, independent information in an era of rapid digital transformation.

The one-day symposium brought together lawyers, media practitioners, academics, and civil society representatives to discuss the long-term sustainability and relevance of PSM.

The SOS Chairperson Samkelo Mokhine, in his remarks, called for political will and institutional reform to protect the SABC from financial instability and political interference. In her keynote address, Desilon Daniels from the Public Media Alliance (PMA) emphasised that sustainable funding models and editorial independence remain global cornerstones of public broadcasting.

The symposium covered the following panel discussions: 

1. The funding model of the SABC

The funding model discussion takes place at a critical moment, when the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) has commissioned a service provider to design a sustainable model for the SABC, amidst mounting financial pressure and uncertainty around the SABC Bill. The current funding framework faces severe strain due to the dwindling collection of licence‑fees and insufficient government funding. In this discussion, alternative revenue sources, such as government department-based funding, JSE listing and others were explored and participants emphasised the need for a ground-breaking  funding framework for a financial reform at the SABC. 

2. 75^th year anniversary of the SABC News. 

This panel reflected on the 75‑year legacy of SABC News, its key achievements, persistent challenges, and evolving role. The panelists examined how SABC News has navigated editorial independence amid persistent political interference, internal staffing and technological shifts and limitations. They unpacked SABC’s news-related public service mandate and its institutional resilience. Discussions also explored what structural and governance reforms are still required and how SABC News can future‑proof itself, safeguarding its independence while adapting to changing media landscapes. One key take-away is that during the apartheid era, SABC News was a mouthpiece of the government, a legacy that offers little to be proud of. However, its truly commendable role began after 1994. 

3. The impact of the Canal+ plus purchase of Multichoice. 

Discussions from this panel evaluated the implications of Canal+ acquisition of  MultiChoice in South Africa. Participants addressed risks to media plurality and market concentration, especially how the acquisition might strengthen a single distributor’s dominance and examined its potential effects on the broadcasting landscape. Attention was given to local content production, regulatory safeguards and public interest protections that were observed, such as the separation of the “LicenceCo” entity to satisfy foreign‑ownership rules. The discussion wrapped up by exploring how local broadcasters can future‑proof themselves under this new configuration.

4. Advancing information integrity through ACHPR Resolutions 630 and 631

This session served as a consultative session on the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR)’s Resolutions 630 and 631. These are  digital instruments that promote platform accountability and public service content across Africa. Participants worked in small groups to deliberate on contents to be included in the Guidelines, as guided by key questions posed.  The contribution ranged from core principles that should inform both guidelines,  necessary governance changes that can enable platform accountability  and state  incentives for the production and distribution of public service content in the digital age. You can also fill in the Google forms to contribute to the Resolutions. 

After a full day of discussions, the symposium concluded that discussions of this nature are critical for ensuring that there is collaboration in devising solutions that will ensure a more sustainable and independent SABC and that there is a need to develop future-focused policy and legislative frameworks that secure the SABC’s relevance and sustainability.

For more information contact:
SOS Support Public Broadcasting Coalition (SOS)

Contact: Carol Seatlanyane– Communications officer 

Phone: 060 691 2462
Email: commsadmin@soscoalition.org.za

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