By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has dismissed claims that political pressure influenced its decision not to recommission its current affairs programme ‘Face the Nation’.
The public broadcaster sent out a statement on Sunday, 22 March 2026, responding to a media report alleging the programme was ending due pressure from the ANC and government.
The SABC said that the programme was cut as part of the news division’s standard review of its programming line-up ahead of a new financial year.
It found that Face the Nation’s performance did not justify its high-cost structure, including a “premium” presenter fee and standard SABC production allocations.
The SABC also said the programme drew additional costs from the presenter’s requirement to use his own dedicated producer.
In recent times, the show has also incurred production costs without being aired, with extended live broadcasts of nationally significant proceedings drawing more viewers.
“When assessed against its performance, the programme has not delivered a return on investment commensurate with these costs,” the broadcaster said.
“Editorial and programming decisions are informed by comprehensive audience and performance data across SABC News, with priority given to content that delivers scale, growth and public value.”
The broadcaster also clarified that Face The Nation was not a flagship programme within the SABC News portfolio.
“[It] does not rank among the division’s top-performing current affairs titles, which deliver significantly higher audiences across the full platform,” it said.
“In its time slot, the programme has not achieved the SABC’s target of leading the market and has consistently ranked below competitors.”
The broadcaster said it was implementing a more cost-effective and audience-focused programming model as part of a broader strategic shift.