The Film and Publication Board – empowering informed content choices.

The Film and Publication Board (FPB), a consumer advisory body, considers itself as a guardian of the children of South Africa. At the very core of its work is the protection of children from exposure to harmful content in films, games and certain publications, as well as their exploitation for the creation of child pornographic material.

Assigning age-appropriate ratings to material empowers parents and caregivers to screen content before it is consumed by their children. In delivering on this goal, the organisation contributes to social cohesion in a democratic system by working to balance the rights of our diverse society through the classification of content.

Classifiers receive regular training on the consistent application of Classification Guidelines and extensive quality assurance ensures that the least restrictive rating is applied to content in the interest of balancing citizen rights. In a society as diverse as the South African rainbow nation, this balancing act is not as easy a task as in more homogenous countries.

The FPB conducts a Convergence Survey every two years assessing the levels of public agreement with the age ratings assigned on the one hand, and society’s norms, morals, and values on the other. Consensus about the effectiveness and accuracy of age ratings on film, video games and other entertainment platforms is not a fait accompli. The survey is a touch base exercise to get an accurate assessment, and by extension, society’s endorsement, of the authority of the FPB.