Celebrating 75 Years of Broadcasting To The Nation

Capturing The Stories of South Africa

By Shumirai Chimombe

Timeline of Some of SABC News Milestones Over The Years.

17 July 1950: The first English and Afrikaans language radio bulletin goes live from Broadcast House on Commissioner Street, Johannesburg.

1 January 1962: Radio Bantu launches its first radio broadcasting service, in Sesotho and isiZulu, and as the FM network expanded, this was followed by stations in isiXhosa, Tswana and Sepedi.

22 August 1967: Radio Bantu Studios were officially opened by the chairman of the SABC board, Dr. Piet Meyer. He said that in the past, telephone lines were used for Radio Bantu programmes to reach black townships. This was an initiative to deliver SABC News bulletins in the vernacular languages to suit the diverse nation of South Africa..

5 January 5, 1976 - 1981: TV1 offers News bulletins split evenly between English and Afrikaans languages only.

1981: A second channel is launched. TV2 broadcasts News bulletins in South African vernacular languages.

1999: SABC News TV1 current affairs show, Face the Nation launches the 1999 democratic elections edition.

January 2004: SABC News launches its first isiZulu current affairs programme Asikhulume/Lets Talk - The bilingual (English and Zulu) talk show has a strong focus on current and pressing social, political, and cultural issues in South Africa, often initiated by viewers.

2007: SABC News launches its first Sotho language current affairs show, Leihlo La Sechaba (which means “Eye of the Nation”), a groundbreaking current affairs programme presented in Sotho languages.

April 2007: SABC News introduces the current affairs show, Yilungelo Lakho (which means “Your Right”), focusing on consumer rights awareness and education, aiming to protect South African consumers from exploitation and inform them about their legal recourse.

10 October 2007: The first Tshivenda current affairs programme, Zwa Maramani is launched. The name roughly translates to a Tshivenda proverb “Someone shows up unexpectedly, without any bags, but they’ve got some news that might be worth hearing.” The show signifies SABC’s commitment to reaching Tshivenda-speaking communities with relevant and in-depth news.

The first dedicated Xitsonga current affairs programme Ngula Ya Vutivi, meaning “well or pot of knowledge” is also launched.

2008: The first Nguni language current affairs programme Cutting Edge airs. It is a prominent investigative current affairs programme, often exploring stories of injustice, corruption, and challenges faced by ordinary South Africans.

1 August 2013: SABC’s 24-hour television news channel goes live on DSTV channel 404. President Jacob Zuma is the first guest to be interviewed.

2013: The South African History Archive (SAHA) and SABC News collaborate to launch a groundbreaking interactive, multimedia website. This significant digital platform delves into the pivotal work of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission by making the extensive 87-part ‘Truth Commission Special Report television series accessible online. This initiative underscores national broadcaster’s commitment to preserving and disseminating crucial historical narratives.

12 April 2019: The SABC launches its News app to expand its content distribution platforms. The app is developed by the broadcaster’s news and technology divisions.

22 November 2022: The new streaming platform SABC-Plus is launched, offering the public broadcaster’s content in one app. The platform includes the SABC’s dedicated 24-hour news channel, SABC 1, SABC 2, and SABC 3, and 19 radio stations.

22 September 2023: SABC Lehae goes on air. The multi-lingual 24-hour news channel provides bulletins in various vernacular languages aiming to reflect South African demographics. This channel is available on digital platforms, SABC-Plus and DTT.

17 July 2025: SABC News 75th anniversary.

Source: SABC News

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) news service marked a historic milestone on 17 July when it celebrated 75 years of public service to the nation.

The first news bulletin aired on radio on 17 July 1950 from the Broadcast House on Commissioner Street in Johannesburg. This was after the National Party (NP) took power in 1948 and began implementing its racial segregation policy of apartheid. At the time the news service was perceived as a government mouthpiece and was frequently referred to as “his master’s voice” when the news was censored and re-broadcasts were ordered from the highest office in the land.

Through the years, the public broadcaster has captured some of the country’s defining moments of struggle, triumph, and transition into democracy. It continues to keep pace with the changing South African landscape and prides itself as a trusted voice in the lives of millions of South Africans.

In its media statement SABC News wrote that “this milestone is celebrated to honour a legacy built on resilience and a deep commitment to ethical journalistic practices. It is also more than a one-day commemoration, but a celebration of the vital role SABC

News has played in shaping South Africa’s narrative, from documenting the country’s complex past, to contributing to its democratic transformation. Through its compelling programming, SABC News service has been able to be the trusted authority, national storyteller and democratic champion.”

SABC Group CEO Nomsa Chabeli said that SABC News has been at the heart of our democracy informing, educating and empowering generations of South Africans. “SABC News has remained a trusted source of news, a mirror to society not only to our nation but for the world seeking to understand South Africa.”

The public broadcaster indicated that at a time when voices were silenced and languages suppressed, SABC’s commitment to indigenous languages was revolutionary. Broadcasting in isiXhosa, Sepedi, Tshivenda and more wasn’t just about accessibility. It was about affirmation.

“In a country shaped by its own many voices, the story of South Africa cannot be told in just one language. For 75 years, SABC News has done more than deliver headlines. It has spoken to the soul of the nation in the mother tongues of its people.”

Reflections From Some of SABC News Famous Names

Sias De Kock - Retired TV Journalist - On freedom after a time when the news was censored and rebroadcasts were ordered from the highest office

Freedom in news broadcasting came at the time of transition to democracy. Because in 1993 things were developing already up to 1994. Then came FW de Klerk and we had so much freedom that we didn’t have before we didn’t know what to do with it. Because all of a sudden everything was free. You could go your own way and you could say what you wanted. Then came Nelson Mandela and so on.

Judy Sandison, SABC’s First Woman Regional Editor in KZN - On navigating her way in a male-dominated 1980s SABC newsroom

“You’ll never get anywhere in the SABC – you’re a woman, English-speaking and a feminist!” – one of my female colleagues told me in the early 1980s. It certainly fired my determination to prove her wrong.

I started transforming well before the national SABC vision for it… as a feminist and community activist, I believed that a professional, ethical newsroom in South Africa had to be diverse and gender-empowered to be a quality public broadcaster and serve society. When I was promoted to radio/ TV news Assignment Editor in 1989 I encouraged more women and isiZulu speakers to apply… then in 1991, as Regional Editor, I went out of my way to strengthen the news team by recruiting young talented Black, Indian and especially female reporters from print ( the Witness, Daily News and Echo, and from Capital Radio), which meant my newsroom in 1993 was the most transformed of any in any media in South Africa – in terms of race, gender and news management.

Mathatha Tsedu, Former Deputy Head of News - On being a news reporter during turbulent times on the continent

“I came into the SABC from print and one of the things that I had to learn first was that audio and visuals are critical elements of any storytelling. I remember when Jonas Savimbi was killed (2002), we wanted to tell that story. But he had been ‘killed’ so many times by the Angolan government that if we were just going to say he had been killed without showing any visuals, it was not going to work. The only people who had the visuals were the Portuguese broadcaster and CNN. So we had to go through all sorts of hoops to get to the Portuguese for visuals in order for the story to stand. That was a big lesson for me.”

Tim Modise - Veteran Radio and TV Broadcaster On a major highlight of his decades-long career

The highlight of my career was to participate in the discussions that led to the establishment of democratic South Africa in 1994. The period just before then we were talking to the different parties that were discussing the future of the country at the World Trade Center in Kempton Park. I managed to talk to almost each representative of the organisations that were there. I felt that it is important that we take their ideas and their positions to the broader audiences because there were no opportunities for them to inform the public that was going to take part in the elections on where they stood on a variety of issues. So to create a platform for them to account and explain themselves to the public at the time was a worthwhile thing for me to do.

Sherwin Bryce-Pease, International Correspondent Based in Manhattan Since 2008 reflecting on his career highlights

The first story, the big story of the day, of that week, of that month, in fact, of the rest of that year was the election of Barack Obama, who would later become the first black president of the United States. I recall Emeritus Archbishop of Cape Town Desmond Tutu speaking a day before his inauguration at the Episcopal Church in Washington DC saying in that high-pitched voice which you’d recognise, “This is your Mandela moment”, and it just resonated. I was at the inauguration in Washington DC with thousands upon thousands of people on the great mall outside the United States Capital. It was a hugely historic moment and such a privilege that it was my first story that I was able to be part of here in the United States

Sophie Mokoena, SABC News International Editor On some of her highlights covering stories for the past 30 years

One assignment I was given was to follow Madiba in retirement and try to collect all his archives and his stories. It was such a fulfilling moment because I would travel with him in a Falcon 500 which is the defense force plane. When he had a birthday in the Eastern Cape in Qunu he insisted that I go down. It was a memorable birthday with those famous visuals when he was surrounded by Mam Graça and Mam Winnie. Another moment was when we won the World Cup bid in Zurich and he made the very profound and historic sound bite “now I can see my grave’, but he was able to live to see the 2010 World Cup.

Chriselda Lewis, Senior Reporter

It’s such an important moment to celebrate with the SABC having come so far and it’s really in moments like this when one once again recognises the importance of public broadcasting and how far the SABC has come in telling people’s stories for 75 years. That is an incredible milestone. It signifies the importance of public broadcasting. Our mandate is very different in terms of what we need to deliver to the public, in terms of informing, entertaining and educating. And that’s always at the back of your mind when you cover your stories every single day. What difference are you making to the public? You’ve got to give the microphone to the people who we serve at the end of the day.

Patrick Makhathini, Former Senior Archivist On preserving history and the books for future generations.

Archivists are the custodians of our customs, traditions, culture, language and history. They have to do that with great accuracy because these are the files that you refer to each time we have to tell the story. These are the files that our children must see who were not there when history unfolded. For example, our children must be able to see former president Nelson Mandela walking out of the Victor Verster Prison. When I joined the SABC news Archives I felt that I’m now contributing fully to the preservation of our history, traditions, customs and language. It was a wonderful experience and I hope that the younger generation that I left at the archives will continue the legacy. Things have changed a lot at the SABC but I’m happy that we were those pioneers who shaped television broadcasting.

Source: SABC