Ntshavheni: SA on Track to Migrate from Analogue to Digital Transmission by 31 March 2022

Government says it is on track towards ensuring that the country migrates from analogue to digital transmission by  31 March next year.

Communications Minister Khumbudzo Ntshavheni addressed an event in Pretoria about the digital migrations. 

South Africa was supposed to have migrated to digital transmission by 2015 but it was delayed. 

Ntshavheni switched off the last analogue transmission site at Zeerust in the North West on Wednesday.

Ntshavheni said South Africa is firmly on course to achieve the long delayed Broadcast Digital Migration with the aim of improving media services in the country and freeing the much needed spectrum.

 “What’s important for us is that this opportunity to switch off and meet the deadline of 31st March, allows our country to reap the digital dividend and be on same par with the technological advancements across the world and allow us to move to digital economy.”

At the same time, government has committed to helping indigent households earning about R3500.00 per month with set-top boxes.

Ntshavheni has encouraged the public to register.

 “If they come and register, we will assist them. But if they do not register, we’ll continue with the switch off and when they come after the switch off we’ll still assist them. So we are still making a call to South Africans to come and register to be assisted. We have the capacity to assist everybody. ”

Ntshavheni said households will not be affected by the analogue switch-off if they are already receiving their television signal through DSTV, OVHD, Telkom-One, StarSat or streaming platforms.