Technology

The big picture

The pieces are being put in place with digital migration and the SABC turnaround strategy, but with OTT players growing in number, what is the outlook for SA’s television market?

06 May 2021

If you were glued to your TV screen on the evening of February 11, you’d perhaps have been watching President Cyril Ramaphosa deliver his 2021 State of the Nation Address. Maybe you were watching it on SABC on an analogue broadcast, or on satellite services, such as OpenView or DStv. Or maybe you were streaming it on YouTube via your PC, tablet or smartphone. Or perhaps you were watching something else entirely, sports or a soapie, or a box set on Netflix or Showmax. You certainly won’t have been watching on the new free-to-air satellite PremiumFree TV, because that only launches this month. Its fair to say SA’s TV market is quite vibrant if you have the wealth and/or connectivity.

During his SONA, Ramaphosa told the nation: “The completion of digital migration is vital to our ability to effectively harness the enormous opportunities presented by technological change. After many delays, we will begin the phased switch-off of our analogue TV transmitters from next month. It is anticipated that this process, which will be done province by province, will be completed by the end of March 2022.”

ITWeb Premium

Get 3 months of unlimited access
No credit card. No obligation.

Already a subscriber Log in