2. Universal Service and
Access Agency of South
Africa- USAASA
3. SABC- public Broadcaster

set top box subsidy scheme

i)
ii)

DTT pilot project
Content, broadcast facilities,
dual illumination
Digital library and digital
play out centre
DTT awareness campaign

30 million

Awareness campaign

756 million

Travel and subsistence

5.7 million

iii)
iv)
i)
ii)

4. Department of
Communication

1.5 billion
86 million

i)
ii)

capacity building for
subsidy scheme

1.9 billion
203 million
140 million

5. USAF

Set top box subsidy scheme

1.48 billion

6. Independent

DTT regulation expenditure

110 million

Communication of south
Africa- ICASA
TOTAL

8.48 billion

The project cost R8.48 billion from 2006 to 2016. A further R861 million was set aside for USAASA during the
2016/17 and 2017/18 financial years and SABC was allocated another R68 million for the digital library and play
out centre.
NB: expenditure on DTT project to date is well over R10 billion including 2019/2020 budget allocation

05

Subsidised STB program in SA
The success of DTT program hinges on consumers having appropriate gadgets to receive the digital TV signal.
Consumers should have either a decoder called set top box or television sets with decoders imbedded in them
ie integrated digital TV sets IDTV. IDTVs are still very expensive with lower end brands still costing more than
USD 300. Top end brands go for up to USD 1000. The IDTVs will in the long run replace the STBs as the prices
eventually come down. Consequently DTT signals will mostly in the meantime be accessed using STBs. All
these so called digital TV sets on the market do not receive the DTT signal. The appropriate TV sets should have
specifically DVB-T2 decoders integrated in them to receive the DTT signal.
SA has about 13 million TV households and the government put up policy to give 5 million free STBs. Qualifying
households should meet the following criteria:

10

•

must be South African citizen

•

household should have combined income of less than R3 200-00 per month

•

should be on social grant

•

should have functioning TV

•

household should already be covered by SABCs concessionary TV licence scheme

•
•
•

must be South African living around the border
Consequently those earning more than R3200 should purchase their own STBs.

DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL TELEVISION MIGRATION IN ZIMBABWE - CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES

Select target paragraph3