The SABC’s headquarters is at Auckland Park in Johannesburg, from which its television and radio services are run.
Programme content complaints and licence complaints go to different bodies. Content goes to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa; licence and service conduct goes to ICASA.
Television licence queries are a separate SABC function again, with its own account system. A licence account query cannot be resolved by the switchboard.
This page covers how to contact the South African Broadcasting Corporation in South Africa. The details below were taken from the official South African Broadcasting Corporation contact page rather than from any third-party directory.
ContactDetails.co.za is an independent directory. We are not the South African Broadcasting Corporation and cannot act on your behalf. Everything on this page is a routing aid so you reach the right official channel quickly.
The South African Broadcasting Corporation contact numbers
These routes were verified against the official South African Broadcasting Corporation contact page on 23 August 2026. Contact numbers do change, so confirm on the official page before relying on one for anything urgent.
| What it is for | Contact |
|---|---|
| Switchboard | +27 11 714 9111 |
| Switchboard, alternate | +27 11 714 9744 |
| Enquiries, mobile | +27 60 553 2800 |
| ICASA consumer complaints email | [email protected] |
| ICASA general enquiries | +27 12 568 3000 |
| Broadcasting Complaints Commission email | [email protected] |
Programme content complaints go to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa, which administers the broadcasting code. Licence and service conduct complaints go to ICASA. Those are two different bodies, and a complaint to the wrong one costs weeks. Television licence queries are a separate SABC function again.
Self-service options before you call
- Check the official site at sabc.co.za, which carries the current contact details and any online enquiry form.
- Email to [email protected], which gives you a written record of what you asked and when.
- Calling outside peak times. Monday mornings and the hour after 17:00 are usually the worst for South African contact centres.
What to have ready before you call
- A clear one line summary of what you need resolved.
- Your account, order or reference number if you already have one.
- The identity document or account holder details, since most South African providers verify who you are before discussing an account.
- Dates, amounts and any error message exactly as it appeared.
- A pen and paper for the reference number. Ask for one every time, because without it a follow up call starts from nothing.
Complaining about something you saw or heard
- Two different bodies handle broadcasting complaints, and the split matters. Programme content goes to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa; licence and service conduct goes to ICASA.
- Go to the broadcaster first. Both routes expect you to have raised it with the broadcaster and given it a chance to respond, and both will ask what was said.
- Note the date, the time, the station and the programme. A complaint that cannot be matched to a broadcast cannot be investigated, and broadcasters keep recordings for a limited period only.
- Complain promptly. Retention periods are short, and a complaint months later may be about material no longer held.
- Press complaints are a third route entirely. Newspapers, magazines and their websites fall under the Press Council of South Africa, not under broadcasting bodies.
ICASA takes consumer complaints on [email protected], fax 012 568 3444, or +27 12 568 3000. The Broadcasting Complaints Commission is reached at [email protected].
Complaints and escalation
If a first call does not resolve the matter, escalate through the broadcaster’s own complaints process first. Programme content complaints go to the Broadcasting Complaints Commission of South Africa at [email protected]; licence and service conduct complaints go to ICASA on [email protected] or +27 12 568 3000. Press complaints go to the Press Council of South Africa, which is a third body again.
Keep a short written log of each contact: the date, the channel you used, the name of the agent and the reference number. Most broadcasting complaint processes ask for exactly that history, and having it ready is usually the difference between a fast resolution and starting over.
Avoiding fake South African Broadcasting Corporation contact numbers
Contact details for well known South African brands are a common target for impersonation. Numbers that look official appear in search ads, social media replies and cloned websites, and the person answering is not the South African Broadcasting Corporation.
- Reach South African Broadcasting Corporation through the official site at sabc.co.za rather than through a number in a search advert or a social media reply.
- The South African Broadcasting Corporation will never ask you for your full card number, PIN, CVV, online banking password or a one time PIN. Nobody legitimate needs those to help you.
- Treat any caller who creates urgency, asks you to install remote access software, or asks you to move money to a safe account as fraudulent, and end the call.
- If you are unsure whether a call was genuine, hang up and dial the official number yourself rather than calling back a number the caller gave you.
Related contact pages
Frequently asked questions
What is the South African Broadcasting Corporation contact number?
The routes are listed in the table above, with what each one is for. The main route is +27 11 714 9111. Confirm it on sabc.co.za before relying on it, since numbers are changed from time to time.
How do I know a South African Broadcasting Corporation number is genuine?
Check it against the official site at sabc.co.za. A number that only appears in a search advert, a social media reply or a third-party directory should not be trusted for anything involving your account, your money or your identity document.
What should I do if nobody resolves my query?
Ask for the complaint reference and the escalation path on your first call, then follow the escalation route described above. Keep the dates, agent names and reference numbers, because every formal complaint process will ask for them.
Can ContactDetails.co.za resolve this for me?
No. We are an independent directory, not the South African Broadcasting Corporation, and we have no access to your account. Everything here is a routing aid so that you reach the correct official channel with the right information in hand.
Is there a cost to calling these numbers?
South African 0860 and 0861 numbers are charged at a share-call or standard rate depending on your provider, and 0800 numbers are toll free from a landline. Calls from a mobile are billed at your own operator’s rate, so check your plan if cost matters.
Contact routes on this page were checked against the official South African Broadcasting Corporation source on 23 August 2026. If you find a detail that has changed, the official source is always the authority.