by Thinus Ferreira
The biggest TV show on South African television has been forced to shut down production indefinitely due to non-payment by the SABC, with the Durban-based Stained Glass TV that has been forced to end production of Uzalo due to cash-flow problems impacting more than 56 cast members and 133 crew.
Stained Glass TV produces Uzalo for the South African public broadcaster, but also since earlier this year the Skeem Saam timeslot replacement since late-April on SABC1, Amalanga Awafani, which is also set and produced in KwaZulu-Natal.
It's not yet known whether Stained Glass TV has been forced to also shutter production on Amalanga Awafani.
"Dear team, we regret to inform you that, due to severe cash-flow constraints, we are compelled to pause production with immediate effect," co-executive producers Gugu Zuma-Ncube, Pepsi Pokane and co-owner Theo Moodley told the Uzalo cast and crew in an internal memo on Monday 4 August.
"Please know that we are actively engaging with the SABC to resolve the matter as swiftly as possible. We understand the impact this has on each of you and remain committed to keeping you informed as the situation develops."
"We are deeply grateful for your unwavering passion, professionalism, and dedication to this special production. Your contribution continues to inspire us, and we are doing everything in our power to get back on track."
Stained Glass Productions was asked for comment, when its cash-flow problems with Uzalo started and what led to it, when it last received payment from the SABC, when it was last supposed to get paid by the broadcaster, as well as how and possible when Stained Glass TV sees the money crisis and production shutdown getting resolved.
Stained Glass TV's answers will be added here once received.
The SABC was also asked in a media query about Uzalo's production shutdown due to cash-flow problems and comment will be added here when received.
Stained Glass TV responded with a statement, passed along from the SABC, saying: "There is no production break on Uzalo, and production continues as scheduled. The SABC remains committed to its partnership with the production company, Stained Glass, and values the continued contribution of the cast and crew."
"As a matter of principle, the SABC does not discuss the details of contractual agreements in the public domain."
Stained Glass TV was asked if there were no production break, why were the Uzalo cast and crew told that production is being paused, but the production company declined to provide an answer.
An insider told and confirmed to TVwithThinus that production crew didn't get paid and were told that production is stopping despite the spin that the SABC might try to put on it to keep the news from being public within the production industry.
Another source said the SABC has been making late payments to Stained Glass TV for Uzalo quite a while, although the production company them took on additional work with Amalanga Awafani.
"People are not worried that Uzalo will shut down in the sense of going off air, but it's a worry about constantly wondering if you're really going to get paid."
Uzalo is the latest in a string of SABC shows that have been forced to literally shut down production over the past while after production companies have not being paid as contractually agreed by the financially struggling South African public broadcaster.
Before Uzalo, shows like 7de Laan, The Estate, Skeem Saam and Muvhango airing across SABC1, SABC2 and SABC3 have shuttered production after the SABC failed to pay on time.
Just this year, Skeem Saam and Muvhango joined Uzalo in halting production in 2025 over non-payment.
Meanwhile, Kew Productions took the SABC to court over its non-payment and had to sue the broadcaster this year just to get paid what it was owed for the unpaid part of a R10 million contract for seasons 12, 13 and 14 of the travelogue series Voetspore that used to be on SABC2.
The major crisis is waiting to be resolved by Maijang Mpherwane who has just returned since August to the SABC as the broadcaster's new head of video entertainment, with the Uzalo production shutdown that is his first big schedule stability headache.
Nomsa Chabeli, SABC CEO, told parliament recently that the SABC is prioritising paying the parastatal signal distributor Sentech first, which it owes more than R1 billion in outstanding debt.
It means that some production companies are underpaid less than what they are owed, or nothing.
"We pay Sentech first before we pay any of our service producers, meaning that producers come after the Sentech payment," Nomsa Chabeli said.
