‘No, you are not going to lose free-to-air TV in SA’ – Department

The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies said it has noted misinformation and fake news surrounding a pending loss of free-to-air television in South Africa.

Reports emerged that 14 million South Africans were going to lose free-to-air television on 31st March 2022 after the department completed the digital migration.

The department said the misinformation seeks to create unnecessary anxiety about the end of dual illumination period and the gazetted analogue switch-off date of 31 March 2022.

“The claim that 14 million South Africans are going to lose free-to-air television are preponderous at best and a figment of imagination at worst. Since 5th October 2021, the Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies, Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, has been briefing South Africans about the process towards completing digital migration in South Africa. The facts that have been presented to South Africans before and remain applicable.”

The department said Ntshavheni reiterated government’s call for households that earn not more than R3500 per month, who have not applied for government assistance to migrate to continue to do so at their nearest Post Offices or online.

“The applying households will be assisted to migrate within 3 – 6 months after the analogue switch off as per earlier communication.”

The department said the provincial analogue switch-offs in the Provinces of Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and Western Cape are yet to take place and that various teams including Sentech have deployed teams on the ground continuing to assist poor households to apply for assistance.

South Africa began its broadcast migration plan shortly after 2006, setting itself a target to complete the process by 2011, but this was not to be.

In December 2021, Ntshavheni said South Africa was 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.

During his state of the nation address (SONA) on 11 February, President Cyril Ramaphosa said one of the greatest constraints on the technological development of the country’s economy has been the unacceptable delay in the migration of broadcasting from analogue to digital.

“As I announced in the State of the Nation Address last year, the other provinces will move to digital signal by the end of March 2022. As part of this process, government will continue to subsidise low-income households so that they can access a set-top box and make the switch to digital TV.” 

Ramaphosa also said the auctioning of the high frequency communications spectrum which the Independent Communication Authority of South Africa (ICASA) auctioned on Tuesday would unlock new spectrum for mobile telecommunications for the first time in over a decade.

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