Residents trying to pay their SABC TV licence are currently unable to, due to cyber security threats on the online payment portal. In December 2025, Sentech, a state-operated technology distributor, threatened to pull the plug on the SABC because of its mounting bill. As heard in parliament, Sentech is owed more than R1 billion in unpaid signal costs, with the bill mounting by R70 million every month it continues to broadcast.

Worse still, the CEO of the state broadcaster, Nomsa Chabeli, said the SABC TV licence was, “A broken and outdated funding model. It was designed for a world that no longer exists. Along with the shift to on-demand digital media, SABC TV licence compliance has remained static for years,” explained Chabeli.

WHY YOU CAN’T PAY YOUR SABC TV LICENCE

Worse still, even if you want to pay your SABC TV licence, you’re opening yourself up to cyber threats. Scammers have long targeted the TV licence as a way to dupe unsuspecting residents. SMS/texts claiming funds are outstanding and you will be handed over for prosecution are commonplace.

However, MyBroadband reports that the SABC TV licence online pay portal is now vulnerable to hackers/scammers, too. This is because its Transport Layer Security (TLS) certificate has expired. Such technology prevents customers from paying and exposing their banking details. Reports claim the TLS expired on Sunday 22 March 2026.

UNSECURE PAYMENTS BLOCKED

Thankfully, all up-to-date web browsers will not allow banking transaction on a site without a valid SSL certificate. Therefore, the SABC TV licence pay portal will be blocked and registered as unsecure. Any sensitive data transmitted – such as login/password credentials, payment information or personal details – will not be intercepted.

Furthermore, major debit/credit card companies require websites to meet PCI/DSS requirements. This ensures only secure processing of customer information. A warning of ‘Connection Refused’ or ‘SSL Handshake Error’ will display when attempting to make payments on the SABC TV licence pay portal. It’s likely the national broadcaster has been unable to get a new TLS certificate due to its current financial distress.

But what do you think? Do you still receive notifications to pay outstanding funds? Do you trust these and would you pay them if you knew you were being exposed to cyber threats? Let us know in the comments section below …