The need for a TV licence extends beyond presenting it when you buy a new TV at a store or online.

While it is a given that when purchasing a new TV you must have a valid TV licence – or pay for one at the point of purchase – the rules around the sale of second-hand TVs are not as well publicised.

This also extends to the procedure of receiving a TV as a gift, or as part of a trade.

To find out more about the rules that South Africans must follow, MyBroadband spoke to the SABC about TV licence requirements.

TV licence

The SABC told MyBroadband that you must have a valid TV licence to receive a TV as a gift – just as you would when buying one.

When it comes to buying a second-hand TV from a friend or a dealer, a user must also have a valid TV licence.

In addition to this, the seller of the TV must provide the SABC with the following information of the buyer:

Initials and surname

ID number

Contact details

Physical and postal addresses

Annual payment increase

A South African TV licence currently costs R265 per year, but the SABC has stated it would like to increase the fee.

TV licence fees remain the second-largest source of revenue for the SABC, therefore there is a need to “rebase the fee and strengthen the collection of this revenue for purposes of funding the public service mandate”, said the SABC.

The SABC also called for more frequent increases of TV licence fees.

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