China’s StarTimes Group, already busy broadcasting over Africa with DTH and DTT services and with a claimed 10 million subscribers, says it seeks expanding that number to 30 million-40 million.

The target was unveiled by a StarTimes’ VP, Guo Ziqi, who was hosting a visit to Beijing for a group of African journalists timed to coincide with last week’s Communist Party 19^th Congress.

Africa was StarTimes Group’s primary target for expansion, followed by Asia and Europe, she said. StarTimes was already available in 35 African countries, employing some 35,000 staff and carrying a total of 480 channels across its systems. It had built 3 major control centres in Nigeria, Kenya and Tanzania, and was constructing an HQ in Nairobi, Kenya.

StarTimes Group had already committed to a $2.5 billion contract signed with 17 African countries to help digitise their TV transition from analogue broadcasting.

“Africa needs us to help with digitisation; that is why we are on the continent. When we came in, we discovered that few households watch digital TV and they are charge exorbitantly for it; we decided to provide comprehensive solutions to make Africans watch digital television,” Ziqi added.

Categories: Articles, Broadcast