SA Post Office marks first unqualified opinion in six years

The unqualified audit for Sapo underscores the entity working towards exiting business rescue. The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) has hailed a governance breakthrough after Sentech, the Film and Publication Board (FPB) and National Electronic Media Institute of South Africa (Nemisa) secured clean audits for 2025-26, while the South African Post Office (Sapo) clinched its first unqualified audit opinion in six years. It said the outcomes, presented at the entities’ annual general meetings (AGMs), signalled progress in strengthening governance, accountability and financial management across the DCDT portfolio. FPB, Sentech and Sapo held their AGMs last week, while Nemisa convened on 15 September. South African Post Office The unqualified audit for Sapo underscores comes as the entity works towards exiting business rescue, with officials in April 2026 signalling a renewed push to stabilise the struggling entity while avoiding liquidation. This emerged during a briefing to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies on 27 March, where business rescue practitioners (BRPs) and government outlined ongoing challenges and progress. Business rescue Sapo entered business rescue in July 2023 after facing provisional liquidation. Since then, 366 branches have been permanently shut, leaving 657 still operational, while 4 342 employees were retrenched in April 2024. Hopes for direct financial relief were dashed when the National Treasury did not allocate the R3.8 billion the post office requested in the 2026 budget. The department has instead set aside R700 million from its budget for universal service obligations to maintain postal services in underserved communities. ‘Positive progress’ Department spokesperson Tlangelani Manganyi said the results reflected “clear and positive progress” across the entities, congratulating boards, executives and employees for their discipline and sustained effort. “While these audit outcomes are important achievements, they are not an end in themselves. They provide a strong foundation for institutions that are well governed, accountable and better positioned to deliver effectively on their respective mandates,” Manganyi said. Oversight He added that the department had intensified oversight, monitored audit action plans, strengthened accountability structures and addressed recurring findings. “These interventions form part of building high‑performing ICT public entities capable of supporting South Africa’s digital transformation agenda,” Manganyi said. Governance Manganyi stressed that improved audit outcomes show what is possible when “sound governance, effective internal controls and consistent oversight” are embedded. “DCDT will continue working closely with leadership and boards to address outstanding governance and audit matters. “The objective is not simply to respond to audit findings after the fact, but to build institutions in which good governance, accountability and sound financial management become part of the everyday culture,” he said.