SABC Cancels 'Request For Proposals' — Content To Be Developed 'In House'

The SABC says it has established 'in-house production capabilities' to produce more of the new local content that the public broadcaster wants to put on SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3, as well as some planned new 'language-based' TV channels for digital terrestrial television (DTT).

The SABC will scale back the already reduced international content on its three entertainment TV channels even further in favour of locally produced programming.

“We are getting rid of RFP book,” said Hlaudi Motsoeneng, explaining that the SABC is getting rid of its Request for Proposals book – the document it used to issue annually to the South African TV production sector specifying what shows it wanted that production companies could then pitch for.

“SABC we dictate for people what kind of content they should pitch which kills the creativity within those individuals. So we are saying allow people to come with their own creativity and their own ideas so that we can compute with other broadcasters,” said Motsoeneng.

The SABC says in a press statement that it “remains committed to serving the millions of South Africans with informative, educational, entertaining and compelling content”.