Canadian goods bear nearly half of the volume as South Africa applies a 5 percent tariff on newsprint imports to protect local print. At the same time, the government advances its timeline to replace the television licence system.
South Africa Imposes Five Percent Tariff on Newsprint Imports
South Africa has officially introduced a 5% tariff on newsprint imports designed to safeguard its print industry.
The measure lands squarely on Canadian suppliers, who account for 47.2% of the total newsprint coming into the country.
Tariff rates remain at zero for several trading partners and regional economic blocs while Canadian imports face the new levy. The exemption covers the European Union, the United Kingdom, EFTA nations, SADC and AfCFTA members, alongside MERCOSUR participants such as Brazil.
SABC Funding Model and Timeline for TV Licence Replacement
Parliament has directed the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies to finalize a sustainable funding model for the South African Broadcasting Corporation within six months.
The push to dismantle and replace South Africa’s current television licence system is moving through a structured legislative and funding timeline that stretches toward 2028.
Government planners have targeted March 2027 for the revised funding model. The final SABC Bill is anticipated to reach Parliament between April 2027 and March 2028.
Communications Minister Solly Malatsi outlined this sequencing. He did so in a response to a parliamentary question.
He confirmed that any legislative replacement for the current broadcast funding setup remains several years from final implementation.
Financial Pressures Facing the Public Broadcaster
Only 15% of television licence holders paid their fees during the 2024/25 financial year. That left the SABC facing R22.8 billion in lost revenue over the six years leading up to that period.
The urgency behind the overhaul stems from mounting financial deficits at the public broadcaster.
The broadcaster has been allocated R728.8 million under the active three-year spending framework.
Separate requests for additional money to cover signal distribution costs were rejected, with the network instructed to exclude those expenses from its budget. A gamification pilot on SABC+ was launched at a cost of R2.5 million to spur compliance before the system changes.
South Africa Benchmark Bond Yield Remains Flat
South Africa’s benchmark 2035 government bond remained flat in early trading, holding a yield of 8.735%.