The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has been having trouble getting South Africans to pay their outstanding TV licenses, and has announced that it will implement more extreme measures to collect outstanding debt.

Statistics revealed in October reflected that the SABC had R3.378-billion in outstanding TV license payments.

One of the ways that the SABC and its team of debt collectors have upped the ante on their collection sources is by making contact with late-payers through their place of work.

Speaking to BusinessTech, a spokesperson from one of the debt collectors employed by the SABC said that it is easy for license holders to ignore personal calls and text messages from the SABC. It would be more difficult to screen calls at work.

The workplace numbers of the license holder will be obtained through the original TV license application. Sometimes the holder’s workplace number is also obtained through the debt collection process.

The spokesperson added that TV license holders are able to pay their license in-store or online, negating the need for debt collectors to contact them at work.

“We need South Africans to be also responsible,” said Minister of Communications, Nomvula Mokonyane. “People must pay for their licences and people must also make sure that they themselves make a contribution because the culture of non-payment also does contribute to the challenges. Just pay as you pay for DStv, just pay as you pay for your airtime then you will find the SABC of being of value to you.”

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