From The Rio Times · Samuel Ncube · · 2m
Who Owns South Africa's Media?
South Africa's media landscape: Naspers, Canal+ and SABC dominate with press freedom ranking 21st globally.
In brief
South Africa's media landscape: Naspers, Canal+ and SABC dominate with press freedom ranking 21st globally. South Africa ranks 21st of 180 countries in press freedom, with Naspers owning News24, Canal+ controlling DStv, and SABC as the public broadcaster. Originally reported by The Rio Times.
Key Facts
South Africa ranks 21st of 180 countries in the 2026 press freedom index, up from 27th.
Media Mix
The country mixes state broadcaster SABC, commercial channel e.tv, pay TV giant DStv owned by Canal+, and private newspapers led by News24.
Ownership Structure
Naspers owns Media24 and News24; Canal+ owns MultiChoice and DStv; Arena Holdings publishes the Sunday Times.
Financial Trends
Broadcasting revenue fell 4.6% to R33.0 billion (about US$2.0 billion) in 2025, with pay TV subscribers dropping 9.6% to 6.7 million.
Press Freedom Status
RSF ranked South Africa 21st of 180 countries in 2026 with a score of 77.95, up from 27th in 2025.
SABC Funding
The SABC gets R234 million (about US$14 million) from the 2026/27 budget and has won two straight unqualified audit opinions.
Digital News Shift
News24 added a paywall, while Daily Maverick and The Mail & Guardian cut staff amid shrinking newsrooms.
Ownership Changes
Canal+ took control of MultiChoice on 22 September 2025 for about US$3.0 billion, ending its JSE listing.
Social Media Usage
29.1 million social media user identities in October 2025, with Facebook reaching 27.9 million South Africans.
Press Council Expulsion
The Press Council expelled Independent Media on 23 October 2024 for refusing to obey its rulings.
SABC Bill Status
A revised SABC Bill with a new funding model is still to be tabled in Parliament as of October 2026.
Media Support Package
A R688 million (about US$41 million) media support package was agreed with Google and YouTube for national media.
Trust in News
Trust in South African news fell to 50% in 2026, down 5 points from the previous year.
US Reader Impact
US readers can follow credible English coverage on News24, Daily Maverick and TimesLIVE but should weigh paywalls and ownership disputes.
Future of News
News creators are drawing audiences away from legacy outlets toward personality-driven channels with less ethical journalism.
What's Next
A revised SABC Bill with a new funding model is expected to be tabled in Parliament by the end of 2026/27.
The one thing
South Africa ranks 21st of 180 countries in press freedom, with Naspers owning News24, Canal+ controlling DStv, and SABC as the public broadcaster.
