State-owned broadcaster wanted R120 million to cover the elections. Then it asked the government for R495 million.

The South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has requested a significant increase in funding from the government, with its latest proposal seeking R495 million to cover the upcoming local government elections. This is a substantial jump from its initial request of R120 million, with the majority of the additional funding allocated towards 'related infrastructure' and 'broadcasting operations'. The department's pursuit of additional funding through government budgetary processes has so far yielded no results, leaving the broadcaster's funding uncertain.