More than half of eNCA’s workforce is facing retrenchment after the broadcaster announced plans to cut 171 of its 309 employees as part of a sweeping restructuring process.
The proposed retrenchments will affect employees in the news, technical and broadcasting divisions as eNCA shifts towards a leaner, digital-first newsroom.
Staff members were instructed to report to eMedia’s offices at midday on Wednesday for the commencement of the Section 189 consultation process.
The retrenchment notices, signed by eNCA managing director Norman Munzhelele, state that the broadcaster is redesigning its newsroom to align with changing audience consumption patterns.
According to the company, its existing newsroom structure is rooted in a traditional television model that is no longer sustainable in an increasingly digital media environment.
eNCA said declining television audiences and the growing demand for online news have made it necessary to rethink the way its newsroom operates.
The broadcaster plans to remove duplication, simplify newsroom operations and make better use of staff and technical resources across its various platforms.
The restructuring proposal centres on establishing a single integrated newsroom built around a digital-first publishing strategy.
The company said the new model will allow content to be produced and distributed more efficiently across its television, online and digital platforms.
eNCA said several positions, functions and operational structures are no longer viable in their current form.
It said the restructuring is intended to create a smaller newsroom capable of producing content for multiple platforms while eliminating duplicated roles.
The broadcaster believes the new structure will improve operational efficiency, strengthen collaboration between platforms and support sustainable journalism without compromising editorial standards.
It also intends reviewing audience behaviour, assessing platform requirements and identifying skills shortages that may require further staff training.
Although 171 employees have been identified as potentially affected, eNCA stressed that no final decision has been taken on the proposed retrenchments.
The company said the consultation process will allow employees to make representations on possible alternatives to retrenchments, the proposed restructuring, selection criteria and severance packages.
According to the notices, some employees have already been identified for alternative positions where suitable vacancies exist.
eNCA has also stopped renewing fixed-term and freelance contracts while the restructuring process is underway.
The consultation process is expected to conclude by the end of November.
Should the retrenchments proceed, affected employees are expected to leave the company from December 1.
Employees who are retrenched will receive one-and-a-half weeks’ remuneration for every completed year of service.
However, workers who unreasonably reject a suitable alternative position offered by the company will forfeit their severance packages.
The planned restructuring comes only weeks after eMedia published its executive remuneration figures under the amended Companies Act.
The disclosures showed that eMedia chief executive Khalik Sherrif earned R19 million during the 2025 financial year, including a R10.3 million performance bonus.
By comparison, the group’s lowest-paid employee earned R98,000 during the same financial year.
eMedia reported revenue of R3 billion and a profit of R299.5 million for the period.
