MBABANE – Before a liSwati can establish a television station in the country, they face an uphill battle created by an expensive licence fee of E150 000.
Even if the television station is granted the licence, the proprietor must be prepared to part with 1.5 per cent of their annual turnover for what is known as the Universal Access Fund. This means an electronic media outlet would pay E300 000 if its turnover stands at E20 million.
On top of that, the TV station is also liable to pay a 25 per cent corporate tax. It appears the Eswatini Communications Commission (ESCCOM) is making it nearly impossible for emaSwati to own television or radio licences. As it stands, the licences are prohibitively expensive even before successful applicants can set up and begin operating their stations.
An investigation by this publication has revealed that ESCCOM received no applications for a commercial television licence and failed to award a single community broadcasting licence during its first major licensing round. This is according to a proposed decision published by the regulator on July 9, an outcome that has raised serious questions about whether the sector’s fee regime is actively deterring new entrants.
ESCCOM had advertised seven licensing opportunities across four categories: one commercial radio licence, one commercial television licence, four community radio licences and one community television licence. Only the commercial radio category attracted a competitive field.
The commission has proposed awarding two commercial radio licences to Sakha Live FM and Icon Connect Radio, while no licences have been proposed for any of the other categories. Set out in General Notice 7 of 2026, the results show that six applications were received for commercial radio, two for community television, one on-time application for community radio and none for commercial television. Three further community radio applications were received after the deadline and were not evaluated. The commission had already moved its submission deadline from January 27 to February 17 to attract a stronger field.
Of the six commercial radio bidders, three met the 70 per cent qualifying threshold – Sakha Live FM, which scored 85 per cent; Icon Connect Radio, 82 per cent and Nkwela FM, 72 per cent.
The commission increased the number of commercial radio licences on offer from one to two.
However, Nkwela FM was not among the proposed winners despite clearing the qualifying threshold. The two community television applicants and the sole qualifying-stage community radio applicant all fell short of the 70 per cent threshold. The cost of entry set out in the commission’s own schedules is steep.
Under the Broadcasting Licence Fee Schedule published in General Notice 7 of 2025, the annual licence fee for most categories is six per cent of a licensee’s annual turnover or a prescribed minimum base fee, whichever is higher. For a nationwide commercial television service, the minimum proposal fee was E300 000 a year, rising to E400 000 for subscription television, but ESCCOM says the final fee schedule reflects that the licence fee is E150 000. It has been established that the countrywide commercial radio carries a minimum annual fee of E250 000.
A further two per cent of turnover is payable annually into the Universal Access and Service Fund. Applicants also face upfront costs before any station goes on air. The commercial radio invitation carried a non-refundable application fee of E5 000 and an initial licence fee of E125 000, which is payable within three months of the award.
Applicants were also required to submit five-year audited financial projections, plans for digital studios, disaster-recovery plans and proof of funding. Sakha Live FM supported its application with a bank guarantee of E10 million. The fee structure sits awkwardly against the community broadcasting category, where every applicant was rejected. Community broadcasters are required by law to operate as non-profit entities serving a defined community. Yet the schedule cited in the licensing process sets an annual floor of E150 000 for a countrywide community radio station and E100 000 for a smaller service.
Among the reasons the commission gave for rejecting the community applications was ‘limited evidence of financial and operational sustainability’. Broadcasters also fall under a second registration regime administered by the same commission in its role as the country’s Data Protection Authority.
Under General Notice 6 of 2023, entities that process personal information must register and pay a fee scaled according to turnover, starting at E10 000, together with a separate data protection fee.
ESCCOM frames the licensing round as advancing the objectives of the Broadcasting Act, 2023, which include promoting a diverse and competitive broadcasting sector, developing local content and supporting investment. The commission says its process was fair, transparent and consistent with the law, and that late applications were excluded to protect equal treatment of all applicants.
On the empty commercial television category, ESCCOM notes that the outcome ‘may be attributable to prevailing market conditions and broader industry dynamics’. The commission has undertaken to review the licensing framework before inviting applications again.
It has also committed to conducting ‘extensive training and capacity building’ for prospective community broadcasters ahead of a second licensing round. ESCCOM says it will re-issue invitations for community broadcasting and commercial television licences on or before March 31, 2027. The July 9 notice is a proposed decision and not a final award.
ESCCOM invited written representations from members of the public before the end of July, after which it will make a final determination. Successful commercial radio applicants still face fit-and-proper vetting and negotiations on licence conditions before any licence is granted.
