More than half of eNCA’s workforce could be retrenched as the 24-hour news channel embarks on a major restructuring process aimed at transforming its traditional newsroom into a smaller, digital-first operation.
According to a report published by the Sunday Times, 171 of eNCA’s 309 employees have been identified as potentially affected by a Section 189 consultation process expected to begin on Wednesday.
Staff were informed on Tuesday that they would be required to report to eMedia’s offices at noon on Wednesday for the start of consultations.
Notices signed by eNCA Managing Director Norman Munzhelele reportedly outlined the company’s plans to reshape its newsroom in response to changing audience consumption habits and the decline of traditional television viewership.
The company said its current newsroom structure is based on traditional models that “no longer support this evolving landscape”.
According to the notices seen by the Sunday Times, eNCA intends to establish a single, integrated newsroom built around a digital-first strategy that will support continuous publishing across its television, online and digital platforms.
The broadcaster said the restructuring is necessary to reduce duplication, streamline workflows and deploy staff and technical resources more efficiently.
“Certain roles, function and/or structures can no longer be sustained in their current form,” the notice stated.
eNCA said the proposed changes are aimed at creating “a smaller, focused, multi-platform newsroom” that is better suited to modern news consumption patterns.
The company argued that the current staffing model does not adequately support a multi-platform environment and contributes to duplication in content production.
It further stated that the new operating model would result in “more efficient workflows, greater platform integration and a more effective deployment of resources”, enabling “faster and more sustainable journalism without compromising editorial standards”.
While 171 employees have been identified as potentially affected, eNCA stressed that no final decisions have been taken.
The company said there are no “final and immutable” decisions regarding retrenchments and that employees will be consulted on possible job losses, restructuring proposals, selection criteria and severance packages during the Section 189 process.
Some staff members have already been considered for alternative positions within the organisation, where appropriate, while the company has also suspended the renewal of fixed-term and freelance contracts.
The consultation process is expected to conclude by the end of November, with any retrenchments taking effect from 1 December.
Employees who are ultimately retrenched will receive severance packages equivalent to 1.5 weeks’ pay for every completed year of service. However, staff who “unreasonably refuse an offer of alternative employment made by the company” will not qualify for severance pay.
The planned job cuts come shortly after eMedia, the parent company of eNCA, e.tv, OpenView and eVOD, published remuneration disclosures in line with amendments to the Companies Act.
According to the disclosures, eMedia Group CEO Khalik Sherrif earned R19 million during the 2025 financial year, including a R10.3 million bonus, while the company’s lowest-paid employee earned R98,000. The group reported revenue of R3 billion and a profit of R299.5 million.
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