Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

AfriForum demands accountability for SABC’s shuffling of Afrikaans TV news and entertainment

Soundbite: Alana Bailey (English)

Soundbite: Alana Bailey (Afrikaans)

AfriForum welcomes the announcement that after two years of shenanigans, the SABC is moving Afrikaans TV news back to the original channel and time (SABC2 at 18:30) seven days a week, as well as intending to broadcast more Afrikaans programmes. It would, however, like to know who will be held accountable for the damage caused by the shuffling of the news bulletin and the termination of programmes.

Since 2024, the chairman, CEO and management of the SABC have allowed news to be randomly rescheduled between times and channels and sometimes even to be cancelled without warning or for the sake of sports events. Popular Afrikaans programmes were terminated and not replaced. AfriForum has continuously been warning that these decisions will cost the SABC dearly in viewership and advertising revenue, but the warnings have thus far gone unheeded.

According to Alana Bailey, AfriForum’s Head of Cultural Affairs, the decision to return the news to its 18:30 slot on SABC2 and even to broadcast a new Afrikaans telenovela proves that the warnings were well-founded.

“Unfortunately, many viewers are now accustomed to finding their news and entertainment elsewhere, and advertisers have followed them. They are not simply going to return to SABC2, despite expensive marketing exercises. The phasing out of Afrikaans programming has also had a negative impact on the careers of many in the industry and has resulted in an exodus of talent.”

Bailey finds it inconceivable that the decisions of the previous two years were made without proper market research. “The news and entertainment industry is more competitive than ever before, and any competent management team will not make any major changes without comprehensive research. They will certainly not allow their decisions to be guided by ideology rather than responsible management practices. In the private sector, those responsible for mistakes of this nature will be held accountable. In the public sector, where taxpayers’ money is being used, an even higher level of accountability should apply, but we see no signs of this.”

In 2025, AfriForum submitted a formal request to the SABC under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (also known as PAIA) to demand answers about the impact of the rescheduling on viewer numbers and advertising revenue. The information has not been received yet, but it is to be expected that the figures would have to be dramatic to result in this turnaround.

“In general, the Afrikaans-speaking public is fairly wealthy and loyal, but not without limits,” Bailey says. “They are the most diverse language community in the country, and according to Statista’s report of 26 January 2026, Afrikaans is the home language of 12.2% of South Africans. It is the third most used language in local households after Zulu (25.3%) and Xhosa (14.8%). The public broadcaster has a duty to provide even more service to this community than will be the case in this new dispensation.”