Man Shares How to Cancel Your SABC TV Licence the Right Way Before Debt Piles Up

• A South African content creator broke down the correct steps to cancel an SABC TV licence in a video that sparked over 1,200 comments
• The creator warned that simply stopping payments does not cancel a licence and can result in interest and growing penalties
• Thousands of South Africans flooded the comments sharing their own frustrating experiences with the cancellation process

A South African man took to social media to walk viewers through the correct way to cancel an SABC TV licence, and his advice hit a nerve with thousands of frustrated South Africans. In the video, the creator explains that one of the most common mistakes people make is simply stopping their payments and assuming the licence is cancelled. That approach, he warns, can quietly lead to mounting interest and penalties over time.

According to the user @soundmoney_coach, the correct route involves completing a cancellation affidavit certified by a Commissioner of Oaths, then submitting it through the official SABC channels. He also flags a frustrating reality many South Africans have already experienced: submitting the documents does not guarantee a response. His advice is to keep copies of everything and follow up persistently until written confirmation is received.

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Watch the TikTok video below:

South Africans share their experiences

The comment section quickly became a space for South Africans to vent their own run-ins with the system:

Task wrote:

"I owe R5k and I sleep peacefully. Even qualified for a credit card. 😂😂😂"

Breeza added:

"But we no longer get signals from SABC but DSTV."

Elsinah shared:

"So now we need to pay for TV licence, DSTV, Netflix etc, TV box every month?"

Safe_With_Jesus (Jenny) shared:

"I sent my cancellation 3 or 4 times; no response."

Tilly Krugel commented:

"I cancelled over 20 years ago. Even phoned them. Remarried. We have a licence, and now they want R15000. No way."

Molalatladi wrote:

"That's insane, so I don't need to submit a thing to get the licence, but I need to jump hoops to cancel?"

Alison wrote:

"I cancelled mine 16 years ago via fax. Sent a signed letter with my ID and all requested details. Still not cancelled. I don't think they want to cancel the licence; that's why it's not being done when it's supposed to be."

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Prettylee03 wrote:

"After reading the comments seems like I'm the only one who still pays for my TV licence"

Mduabe highlighted:

"I bought a TV set in 2010, never paid the licence fee since. They tried calling and sending messages for a number of years. Eventually stopped in 2016 and nothing has been said since."

3 Other Briefly News stories about TV licences

• The SABC outlined the steps required to cancel a TV licence for those who no longer own a television set.
• South African TV licence holders are facing a new risk as a deceptive email phishing scam spreads nationwide.
• TikToker warned South Africans that the SABC confirmed people with outstanding TV licence debt could face consequences.

Source: Briefly News