Digital Television for South Africa

South Africa is awaiting the advent of digital terrestrial television (DTT), which will see a migration from the current analogue system to digital broadcasting. The changeover, estimated at R7-billion ($887 232), is being driven by the Policy Development Branch of the national Department of Communications in collaboration with state-owned broadcast network operator Sentech.

The migration is steered by the Digital Broadcasting Migration working group, which comprises four committees dealing with content, technical matters, economics and policy. It was established in August 2005 by Minister of Communications Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri with the mandate to develop a national strategy for the analogue to digital migration.

The working group consists of representatives from the broadcasting industry, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa, government, civil society, organised labour, and relevant consumer groups. The group presented its recommendations in a report to the minister in November 2006.

"Digital migration was mooted as early as the late 1990s in South Africa," said Matsepe-Casaburri at the handover. "Through technological transformation, digital broadcasting can deliver more benefits for the industry and the public, with reduced transmission costs in the long term. As government, we have an obligation to ensure that services reach every citizen of this country at an even more affordable rate."