1. What kind of royalties does SASPRO collect?
SASPRO focuses on royalties and residuals arising from the use of recorded audiovisual performances, such as broadcast, rebroadcast, cable and satellite transmission, streaming, and other forms of secondary exploitation. The exact scope depends on the legal provisions in each territory and the terms of reciprocal agreements with our international partners.
2. How can there already be money due to South African performers?
Our international counterparts have identified productions featuring South African performers that have been exploited in their territories under legal frameworks which already recognise audiovisual performers’ royalty rights. Those organisations have collected royalties that belong to the performers involved, but they often cannot pay out until they can identify and register the right holders. SASPRO’s role is to bridge that gap for South African performers.
3. What is a reciprocal agreement and why does it matter?
A reciprocal agreement is a cooperation arrangement between SASPRO and a foreign collective management organisation. Each organisation agrees to represent the other’s members in its own territory, collect royalties for them, and remit those royalties back to the home organisation. This network of agreements allows SASPRO to claim income for South African performers from multiple jurisdictions, rather than dealing with each territory individually.
4. Does SASPRO only work with foreign organisations?
No. SASPRO’s mandate includes administering performers’ rights and royalties within South Africa as the legal framework develops. International cooperation is a key part of our work, but we also anticipate playing a central role in domestic royalty collections once the enabling legislation is fully in place and local systems are operational.
5. What is the status of the enabling legislation?
The legislative framework granting South African audiovisual performers enforceable royalty rights is in the process of being implemented and has already cleared significant constitutional hurdles. This creates the foundation for a comprehensive system under which SASPRO can administer those rights in a structured, legally recognised way.