Close Menu
TechCentralTechCentral

    Subscribe to the newsletter

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube LinkedIn
    WhatsApp Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn YouTube
    TechCentralTechCentral
    • News
      Broadband Infraco in limbo

      Broadband Infraco in limbo

      11 February 2026
      Home affairs' R10 ID fee is forcing companies to rethink identity verification

      Standard Bank joins smart ID push with fee-free launch

      11 February 2026
      Zscaler assets seized from South African data centres

      Zscaler assets seized from South African data centres

      11 February 2026
      SA app wants to end guesswork in online grocery shopping - We Need Milk CEO Arjan van den Berg

      SA app wants to end guesswork in online grocery shopping

      11 February 2026
      Absa appoints M-Pesa boss to lead personal and private banking - Sitoyo Lopokoiyit

      Absa appoints M-Pesa boss to lead personal and private banking

      11 February 2026
    • World
      EU regulators take aim at WhatsApp

      EU regulators take aim at WhatsApp

      9 February 2026
      Musk hits brakes on Mars mission

      Musk hits brakes on Mars mission

      9 February 2026
      Crypto firm accidentally sends R700-billion in bitcoin to its users

      Crypto firm accidentally sends R700-billion in bitcoin to its users

      8 February 2026
      AI won't replace software, says Nvidia CEO amid market rout - Jensen Huang

      AI won’t replace software, says Nvidia CEO amid market rout

      4 February 2026
      Apple acquires audio AI start-up Q.ai

      Apple acquires audio AI start-up Q.ai

      30 January 2026
    • In-depth
      How liberalisation is rewiring South Africa's power sector

      How liberalisation is rewiring South Africa’s power sector

      21 January 2026
      The top-performing South African tech shares of 2025

      The top-performing South African tech shares of 2025

      12 January 2026
      Digital authoritarianism grows as African states normalise internet blackouts

      Digital authoritarianism grows as African states normalise internet blackouts

      19 December 2025
      TechCentral's South African Newsmakers of 2025

      TechCentral’s South African Newsmakers of 2025

      18 December 2025
      Black Friday goes digital in South Africa as online spending surges to record high

      Black Friday goes digital in South Africa as online spending surges to record high

      4 December 2025
    • TCS
      Watts & Wheels S1E4: 'We drive an electric Uber'

      Watts & Wheels S1E4: ‘We drive an electric Uber’

      10 February 2026
      TCS+ | How Cloud On Demand is helping SA businesses succeed in the cloud - Xhenia Rhode, Dion Kalicharan

      TCS+ | Cloud On Demand and Consnet: inside a real-world AWS partner success story

      30 January 2026
      Watts & Wheels S1E4: 'We drive an electric Uber'

      Watts & Wheels S1E3: ‘BYD’s Corolla Cross challenger’

      30 January 2026
      Watts & Wheels S1E4: 'We drive an electric Uber'

      Watts & Wheels S1E2: ‘China attacks, BMW digs in, Toyota’s sublime supercar’

      23 January 2026

      TCS+ | Why cybersecurity is becoming a competitive advantage for SA businesses

      20 January 2026
    • Opinion
      South Africa's skills advantage is being overlooked at home - Richard Firth

      South Africa’s skills advantage is being overlooked at home

      29 January 2026
      Why Elon Musk's Starlink is a 'hard no' for me - Songezo Zibi

      Why Elon Musk’s Starlink is a ‘hard no’ for me

      26 January 2026
      South Africa's new fibre broadband battle - Duncan McLeod

      South Africa’s new fibre broadband battle

      20 January 2026
      AI moves from pilots to production in South African companies - Nazia Pillay SAP

      AI moves from pilots to production in South African companies

      20 January 2026
      South Africa's new fibre broadband battle - Duncan McLeod

      ANC’s attack on Solly Malatsi shows how BEE dogma trumps economic reality

      14 December 2025
    • Company Hubs
      • Africa Data Centres
      • AfriGIS
      • Altron Digital Business
      • Altron Document Solutions
      • Altron Group
      • Arctic Wolf
      • AvertITD
      • Braintree
      • CallMiner
      • CambriLearn
      • CYBER1 Solutions
      • Digicloud Africa
      • Digimune
      • Domains.co.za
      • ESET
      • Euphoria Telecom
      • Incredible Business
      • iONLINE
      • IQbusiness
      • Iris Network Systems
      • LSD Open
      • NEC XON
      • Netstar
      • Network Platforms
      • Next DLP
      • Ovations
      • Paracon
      • Paratus
      • Q-KON
      • SevenC
      • SkyWire
      • Solid8 Technologies
      • Telit Cinterion
      • Tenable
      • Vertiv
      • Videri Digital
      • Vodacom Business
      • Wipro
      • Workday
      • XLink
    • Sections
      • AI and machine learning
      • Banking
      • Broadcasting and Media
      • Cloud services
      • Contact centres and CX
      • Cryptocurrencies
      • Education and skills
      • Electronics and hardware
      • Energy and sustainability
      • Enterprise software
      • Financial services
      • Information security
      • Internet and connectivity
      • Internet of Things
      • Investment
      • IT services
      • Lifestyle
      • Motoring
      • Public sector
      • Retail and e-commerce
      • Satellite communications
      • Science
      • SMEs and start-ups
      • Social media
      • Talent and leadership
      • Telecoms
    • Events
    • Advertise
    TechCentralTechCentral
    Home » Opinion » Duncan McLeod » Progress may be near in digital TV fiasco

    Progress may be near in digital TV fiasco

    By Duncan McLeod15 March 2015
    Twitter LinkedIn Facebook WhatsApp Email Telegram Copy Link
    News Alerts
    WhatsApp

    Duncan-McLeod-180-profileSouth Africa may finally be on the verge of making some real progress in its seemingly never-ending move from analogue to digital terrestrial television. But important questions remain unanswered.

    Cabinet’s announcement on 5 March that it has approved the broadcasting digital migration amendment policy has led to yet more confusion. Communications minister Faith Muthambi is promising a final policy in the coming week that will set out the details of what government wants in the set-top boxes consumers will need to receive digital broadcasts.

    The battle between e.tv on one side and MultiChoice and the SABC on the other over the use of encryption or conditional access in these boxes, which government now intends providing free of charge to 5m poorer households, has raged for more than two years.

    After government initially supporting the idea of including conditional access in the boxes, it looks set to change tack, opting instead for a simple control system of some sort that protects government’s planned multibillion-rand subsidy for poorer households.

    And, although we’ll only know for sure when the final policy is published this week, it appears that the MultiChoice and SABC view has largely prevailed — government-supplied set-top boxes will not contain a conditional access system based on encryption, and prospective pay-television operators wanting to use such a system will have to deploy their own boxes to subscribers at their own cost.

    Muthambi has made it clear that conditional access will not feature in the final amended policy on broadcasting digital migration.

    MultiChoice has long argued that subsidising a conditional access system would amount to unfair competition and that prospective rivals should bear the cost of this themselves. It has argued, too, that encryption in free-to-air set-top boxes is complex and ultimately runs counter to consumers’ interests.

    These are valid arguments — taxpayers shouldn’t foot the bill for conditional access.

    But e.tv has put forward an alternative case, saying the system is needed to ensure free-to-air broadcasters, under increasing commercial pressure, can secure the latest movies and series from global content distributors, which demand broadcasters use encryption. The free-to-air sector risks being “ghettoised” without it. Without encryption, MultiChoice will entrench its dominance in South Africa’s broadcasting industry, e.tv argues.

    But encryption is now firmly off the table, according to Muthambi, who says the control system will be a simple security mechanism that, among other things, will prevent set-top boxes from being sold and used outside South Africa’s borders.

    However, there’s a twist — the security feature will also “encourage the local electronics manufacturing sector”, Muthambi says. It’s not clear what the minister means by this and comments she made on Twitter this week imply that government might use the control system as a blunt weapon to impose some sort of protectionist policy, to effectively block the importation of cheap set-top boxes from China.

    Faith Muthambi
    Faith Muthambi

    “Illegally imported [set-top boxes] will be obsolete,” she tweeted. This could serve to prevent dumping of cheap and nasty set-top boxes — a problem that’s afflicted countries like Kenya and Mauritius — but is it really in the interests of consumers if a complete ban is put in place? Again, we need more details.

    Will it be only South African electronics manufacturers that get the “keys” to build set-top boxes for the local market? If so, this could be in breach of South Africa’s commitments to the World Trade Organisation. We’ll only know when the policy is published.

    It’s unlikely the final policy will please everyone. It may even end up upsetting everyone. But getting on with the digital TV project is now crucial. We must now hope that government runs a smooth and corruption-free tender process for the free set-top boxes. At the same time, the department of telecommunications needs to publish its long-delayed policy on the allocation of so-called high-demand spectrum, including the “digital dividend” spectrum that broadcasters will give up through migration, so that network operators can get on with the job of connecting the country to broadband.

    It’s time South Africa put this embarrassing fiasco behind it.

    • Duncan McLeod is editor of TechCentral. Find him on Twitter
    • This column was first published in the Sunday Times


    DStv Duncan McLeod e.tv Faith Muthambi MultiChoice SABC
    WhatsApp YouTube Follow on Google News Add as preferred source on Google
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Email Copy Link
    Previous ArticleChappie: sentient but not intelligent
    Next Article Firestorm over Cape Town newspaper

    Related Posts

    Sentech is in dire straits

    Sentech is in dire straits

    10 February 2026
    Watts & Wheels S1E4: 'We drive an electric Uber'

    Watts & Wheels S1E4: ‘We drive an electric Uber’

    10 February 2026
    SABC says it can't afford to cover the next election

    SABC says it can’t afford to cover the next election

    9 February 2026
    Company News
    How NEC XON tackled identity risk for a major telco - Michael de Neuilly Rice

    How NEC XON tackled identity risk for a major telco

    11 February 2026

    Why Acer is the strategic choice for South Africa’s educational future

    11 February 2026
    Fyndae is building Africa's human verification layer for community security and collaboration

    Fyndae wants to turn lost-item recovery into Africa’s trust infrastructure

    11 February 2026
    Opinion
    South Africa's skills advantage is being overlooked at home - Richard Firth

    South Africa’s skills advantage is being overlooked at home

    29 January 2026
    Why Elon Musk's Starlink is a 'hard no' for me - Songezo Zibi

    Why Elon Musk’s Starlink is a ‘hard no’ for me

    26 January 2026
    South Africa's new fibre broadband battle - Duncan McLeod

    South Africa’s new fibre broadband battle

    20 January 2026

    Subscribe to Updates

    Get the best South African technology news and analysis delivered to your e-mail inbox every morning.

    Latest Posts
    Broadband Infraco in limbo

    Broadband Infraco in limbo

    11 February 2026
    Home affairs' R10 ID fee is forcing companies to rethink identity verification

    Standard Bank joins smart ID push with fee-free launch

    11 February 2026
    Zscaler assets seized from South African data centres

    Zscaler assets seized from South African data centres

    11 February 2026
    SA app wants to end guesswork in online grocery shopping - We Need Milk CEO Arjan van den Berg

    SA app wants to end guesswork in online grocery shopping

    11 February 2026
    © 2009 - 2026 NewsCentral Media
    • Cookie policy (ZA)
    • TechCentral – privacy and Popia

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    Manage consent

    TechCentral uses cookies to enhance its offerings. Consenting to these technologies allows us to serve you better. Not consenting or withdrawing consent may adversely affect certain features and functions of the website.

    Functional Always active
    The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
    Preferences
    The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
    Statistics
    The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
    Marketing
    The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
    • Manage options
    • Manage services
    • Manage {vendor_count} vendors
    • Read more about these purposes
    View preferences
    • {title}
    • {title}
    • {title}