South Africa’s public broadcaster SABC has added 500,000 new registered users to its free SABC+ streaming service in three months. The revamped service was launched on July 3rd offers ‘catch-up’ content, VoD and live streaming of SABC’s television and radio channels. SABC said a combination of programming including the Paris summer Olympic Games, the Cote […]

South Africa’s communications minister Solly Malatsi has intervened in the increasingly bitter row between South African public broadcaster SABC and the nation’s broadcasting transmission company, Sentech. SABC is objecting to the fees Sentech is levying to carry the broadcaster’s signals across the country. In his statement, Malatsi claimed that 3 million South Africans were “at […]

The October 2nd raid by South Africa communications regulator Icasa on satellite broadcaster StarSat was deliberately damaging said StarSat officials. Senior technical staff were at the broadcaster’s Johannesburg head office and tried to tell Icasa and the police during the raid which equipment operated their systems. But, says StarSat, this advice was ignored and cables […]

South African telecoms regulator Icasa has raided the offices of StarSat and closed the pay-TV broadcaster down. On October 2nd, aided by police, Icasa staff removed computers and cables at StarSat’s head office in Johannesburg. StarSat marketing manager Jan Harmse told local journalists that the raid came as a shock despite Icasa ordering StarSat to […]

South Africa’s StarTimes-backed pay-TV operation StarSat is still on air despite regulator Icasa ordering it to shut down. StarSat operates under a licence issued to On Digital Media (ODM) in 2008, which has now expired. StarTimes has said that its StarSat platform will continue operating despite the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) ordering […]

On Digital Media (ODM), licensed in 2007, and now trading as StarSat, has been ordered to close by South Africa’s telecommunications regulator Icasa. StarSat – as ODM – was formed to provide an alternative to MultiChoice and its domination of the pay-TV scene with DStv and popular sport channels. ODM initially traded as TopTV, but […]

South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa has held talks with Elon Musk over Starlink’s availability in the country, and the discussions included potential investments. Ramaphosa told local press that the discussions had taken place recently. Musk was born in South Africa and still has family in the country. “I have had discussions with [Musk] and have […]

On September 8th Elon Musk told an enquirer on X that Starlink’s satellite broadband service is awaiting regulatory approval in South Africa. However, according to regulator Icasa, it has not received a licence application. Icasa made an unambiguous statement on September 9th saying: “Please note that Icasa has not received an application [from Starlink] as […]

Foxtel Group and Cricket South Africa (CSA) have announced an extension to their agreement to broadcast the Proteas Men and Women’s international matches throughout Australia in a multi-year deal. The deal was secured by CSA’s international media rights partner, IMG. Under the agreement, Foxtel Group will exclusively broadcast all fixtures for South Africa’s men’s and […]