South Africa’s roadmap to digital adoption for broadcasting has had more than a few pot-holes to slow adoption. However, the country’s Dept. of Communications says that it will take another two full years to wrap the process up.

South Africa originally signed up to the ITU’s global ‘analogue switch-off’ target date of June 2015, but missed that deadline and has consistently missed even its own self-imposed dates for digital adoption.

Some regions have now started the transition process, notably those close to neighbouring countries and where border interference is a real risk. The Northern Cape, which borders Namibia, was the first to migrate to digital.

South Africa’s government is committed to issuing free set-top boxes to the poorest of its citizens to aid with digital adoption.

Categories: Articles, Broadcast, DSO