South Africa has confirmed that its analogue television transmissions will end on March 31st. The process is more than 10 years behind the initial plan which was to see 80 per cent of the nation converted to digital in time for the FIFA World Cup which started in June 2010 The ending of analogue broadcasting […]

South Africa’s government has allocated an additional Rand 300 million (about €17.5 million) in its annual budget for regulator ICASA for 2022-2023. The cash means an increase in ICASA’s budget of more than 50 per cent and comes ahead of its March planned spectrum auction. “[The] additional funding of R300-million in 2022/2023 is earmarked for […]

South Africa’s communications regulator ICASA has approved six bidders for next month’s capacity auction. They are Vodacom, MTN, Telkom, Cell C, Liquid Intelligent Technologies and Rain. The invitations to apply and to submit for the auction was issued back in December 2021 with a requirement to firm up their applications by January 31st. However, telco […]

South Africa’s pay-TV and streaming broadcaster, DStv, is clamping down on password sharing. A note to subscribers on the company’s website says that password sharing and piracy are challenges for streaming providers globally. “As part of our ongoing efforts to counteract password sharing and piracy, while continuing to bring you the best viewing experience, we […]

Vodacom is the mobile leader in South Africa having grown its market (y-o-y) from 44.3 million active subscribers to 45.77 million as at December 31st 2021. This represent a 42 per cent market share. Second place is occupied by MTN which had (as at September 30th 2021) 33.51 million subs (and a 31 per cent […]

South African pay-TV giant MultiChoice is to start streaming content to Kenya-based users with smart TVs and without the need for a dedicated decoder. MultiChoice Group Kenya MD Nancy Matimu said that the latest plan to venture into the OTT service is informed by the young generation “who are always on the Internet.” “We need […]

Six telcos have formally applied for to take part in the upcoming spectrum being auctioned by South Africa’s government. The timetable closed on January 31st and six players had entered the auction line-up. They are: · Cell C · Liquid Intelligent Technologies · MTN · Rain · Telkom · Vodacom Telkom is still involved in […]

South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, is being urged by the government’s Economic Advisory Council to designate the provision of fibre broadband as a utility in order to ensure access by the nation’s poor and more rural parts of the country. The president is expected to make a ‘state of the nation’ speech on February 10th. […]

Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s president, has ordered what is described as a “wide ranging probe” into Telkom’s activity since 2006. In the official Proclamation the president has asked the country’s Special Investing Unit to examine Telkom for “serious maladministration in connection with the affairs of Telkom” as well as improper or unlawful conduct by employees […]

South African telco Telkom has, as expected, withdrawn its High Court action against ICASA over the regulator’s upcoming auction of spectrum. Telkom told the Pretoria High Court that it will remove its urgent application for an ‘interdict’ to forbid any progress on the auction. Instead, however, it wants ICASA to promptly hear its objections and […]