malvernmugadzikwa
Thinus Ferreira
- Despite financial challenges, the SABC is once again staffing up and advertised for 484 freelance jobs this month, primarily for its SABC News division.
- Last year, the broadcaster was forced to retrench 877 permanent workers.
- It received a R3.2 billion bailout, but the SABC is struggling to stay afloat.
The South African public broadcaster, which is not out of the woods financially despite another government bailout, is looking to hire close to 500 workers in 2022 – this in the wake of axing 800 workers in 2021.
The SABC was forced to retrench 877 permanent workers during its previous financial year, which cost R177 million in a once-off payment in severance packages.
The broadcaster – which got another R3.2 billion bailout from government three years ago – has however not managed to significantly improve its financial position.
Last week, Parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) was told that the SABC was not generating enough revenue and that the broadcaster was still struggling to cover its costs despite the bailout, which was paid in tranches of R2.1 billion and R1.1 billion in its 2019/2020 financial year.
Now the SABC is once again staffing up and advertised for 484 freelance jobs this month, primarily for its SABC News division, ranging from news journalists, editors and producers for TV and radio, to camera operators and video editors, vision controllers, line record operators and bulletin writers, as well as make-up artists.
While eMedia’s eNCA and e.tv did away with weather presenters, SABC News is expanding its personalised weather forecast offering to give viewers a more in-depth, customised and personalised weather report service across SABC News and its TV channels; to achieve this, it is looking for 27 weather presenters.
Gugu Ntuli, the SABC’s group executive of corporate affairs and marketing, told Fin24: “The SABC can confirm that the corporation is on a drive to attract and create a pool of suitably qualifying talent on a freelance basis.
“It must be noted that SABC News often complements its permanent employees with independent contractors for the success of the operating model.
“The advertised independent contractor roles are intended to attract diverse skills of individuals who are willing to be engaged for various assignments as and when they become available which is often within a short notice. The SABC has duly budgeted for this purpose.”
Bongani Ndlovu