The South African government has extended the deadline for switching off analogue television signals, pushing the date from 31 December 2024 to 31 March 2025.
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies announced that this decision comes as a significant portion of the 467,000 poor households registered for government-supplied set-top boxes are still waiting to receive them.
The newly-announced delay aims to avoid cutting off these households from broadcast services, which would infringe on their constitutional right to access information.
The Department said it wants to give more time to ensure everyone is ready for the change.
DELAYS FROM ANALOGUE TO DIGITAL MIGRATION COST TAXPAYERS BILLIONS
South Africa’s migration to digital broadcasting has been dragging on for years. The Broadcasting Digital Migration project has faced significant setbacks since its start. It has already cost the government R1.23 billion due to dual illumination — the ongoing transmission of both analogue and digital signals.
Dual illumination is an expensive stopgap measure, especially at a time when South Africa’s economy is struggling. Critics argue that the government cannot afford further delays.
“This process is costly and cannot be sustained indefinitely,” the department admitted.
FOCUS ON SET-TOP BOX DELIVERY
The government says its top priority now is delivering and installing set-top boxes to the remaining households before the March deadline. These boxes are essential for watching digital TV channels on older television sets.
Broadcasters will play a crucial role in informing the public and helping ensure all households are ready for the switch. The department has also warned that it will hold its staff accountable for any further mismanagement.
A LONG WAIT FOR BETTER TV
Many South Africans are frustrated by the slow progress. Switching to digital signals promises better picture quality, more content, and improved broadcasting services.
Despite the project continuing to miss deadlines and rack up costs, the department is appealing to the public to assist in spreading awareness and ensuring everyone transitions to digital broadcasting.
The country now has until 31 March 2025 to complete the move to digital TV — a deadline many hope will finally mark the end of this drawn-out process.
Television was first introducedin South Africa in 1976, well after the rest of the world. This was due to political concerns from the country’s apartheid government at the time. MultiChoice was the first company to introduce the concept of digital television to the South African market in 1995. On 22 February 2007, the South African government announced that the country’s public TV operators would be broadcasting in digital by 1 November 2008. The dual-illumination period was expected to first end on 1 November 2011.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE DELAYS IN SOUTH AFRICA’S MOVE TO DIGITAL TV? SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT HAVE HANDLED THIS BETTER?
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