South Africa’s communications minister Faith Muthambi has admitted that the country will not meet the 17th June 2015 analogue switch off date as set by the International Telecommunications Union, and advised that the switch to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) will only be completed in two years.

Updating the National Assembly on the project, Muthambi said the department of communications anticipates expediting the rollout of set top boxes to be completed in the coming 18 to 24 months so that it can switch off analogue signal and begin to realise the benefits of digital TV and to allow the rollout of digital broadband services. A date will eventually be determined after consultation between the department of communications (DOC) and cabinet, according to Muthambi.

According to Muthambi , R22 million (€1.67m) has been set aside for a digital television public awareness campaign about that would run for the next four weeks.

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