South Africa’s analogue switch-off (ASO) deadline has been extended to 31 March 2025, the communications department confirmed yesterday in a statement.
This comes after minister Solly Malatsi’s update to Parliament’s oversight body for the communications portfolio, noting hundreds of thousands of households would likely end up without access to TV services if the 31 December deadline was upheld.
The Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT) head also revealed the conundrum of having to source further funding for dual-illumination, which has cost R1.2 billion since 2014.
In the statement, the ministry says it received Cabinet’s approval to extend the ASO deadline from 31 December 2024, to 31 March 2025. “This extension will ensure that as many indigent households as possible will enjoy their right to access broadcast services.
“We communicated this decision to the broadcasters and relevant stakeholders in a meeting today [Thursday] and commit to continue working together with them on this project.
“Their commitment to ensuring the free-to-air households migrate is critical to the success of this programme.”
The analogue switch-off is a key part of SA’s years-long delayed broadcasting digital migration (BDM) programme, for which the DCDT is the project lead.
After missing the International Telecommunication Union-mandated June 2015 migration deadline, the communications ministry has made numerous attempts to conclude the country’s BDM project.
However, several controversies have bogged down the process, including litigation, switch-up of set-top box (STB) standards, leadership changes within the ministry, disgruntled STB installers, pressure from broadcasters and low registration turnout.
Migrating from analogue to digital TV formed an important part of making available the sub-1GB radio frequency spectrum bands, which were licensed during ICASA’s “historic” spectrum auction in March 2022.
As part of the BDM programme, government last year gazetted a phased approach to switch-off analogue broadcasting signals. This put forward 31 July 2023 as the date to switch-off all analogue broadcasting services above 694MHz, with 31 December 2024 as the end of the dual-illumination period and switch-off of the remaining analogue services below 694MHz.
In its statement, the DCDT notes the postponement of the ASO deadline recognises the considerable delays that have plagued the BDM project since its inception.
In addition, it provides the necessary relief that makes provision for more time to migrate as many South African as possible before the final switch-off.
“To this end, government will continue to subsidise indigent households.”
To avert further delays and ensure efficient delivery, Malatsi has directed the director-general to implement consequence management for any individuals responsible for failures within the department, reads the statement.
“Currently, approximately 467 000 indigent households that are registered for government-provided STBs have not yet received them.
“There is no denying that the broadcasting digital migration project has dragged on for far too long, costing government R1.23 billion for dual-illumination. This process is costly and cannot be sustained indefinitely. More so, at a time when the fiscus is under extreme pressure.
“Our immediate focus between now and the end of March 2025 is to aggressively accelerate the delivery and installation of STBs to indigent households to ensure that as many households as possible are prepared for the switch-off.
“Broadcasters are key stakeholders in this and will be instrumental in raising awareness to ensure the rest of the free to air households have access to the necessary device to receive digital broadcasting signals.”
Malatsi also appealed to the nation to assist in the migration of households that are still receiving analogue broadcasting transmission.
“We all have a role to play to ensure the country transitions towards digital broadcasting for better services, wider content and entertainment.”
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