TV content to fill additional TV channels - a massive cost which will be bore by existing broadcasters in South Africa such as the SABC, e.tv and M-Net - is what the country's TV industry knows will be the pivotal driver of DTT uptake under ordinary consumers.
Without compelling content, South African consumers are not going to fork out the money to buy a set-top box (STB) which will cost hundreds of rands to get more channels during the period of dual illumination when they will still be able to keep watching analogue television when broadcasters also start broadcasting digital signals and new TV channels on their available multiplex.
A DTT network which exists won't be successful without enough enticing channels, and without enough and enticing TV content to fill the additional channels.
Affordability is the other most important and entertwined issue to make DTT truly successful through cheaply available decoders.
Ordinary South Africans battling with keep up with rising inflation, added costs like price hikes in petrol, electricity and e-tolling, decreased discresionary spending power and a dreary economic outlook which negatively impacts consumer confidence, are unable to spend R700 and upwards on a STB and new antennas which are also required, just to continue to receive "free" public TV signals.
According to the government "only the poorest of the poor" will benefit from an STB subsidy scheme.
South Africa is many years behind schedule with the roll-out of DTT with an official commercial switch-date which has seen numerous delays and postponements.
While South Africa was first to start planning for DTT, the country has been passed by several countries in Africa and will no longer make the cut-off date of 2015 for the completion of the implementation of DTT as agreed by International Telecommunication Union (ITU) after which analogue broadcasting frequencies will no longer be protected. Zimbabwe last month passed South Africa when DTT broadcasts started in that country.
Speaking in Nkowankowa in the greater Tzaneen region to update local residents and by implication the country, Dina Pule said that "for South Africa to successfully migrate to the digital broadcasting era, we need three things."
"Number one, we need to have the DTT network. Secondly we need set-top-boxes. Thirdly we need to make every South African aware of digital migration and the many opportunities this era bring to the country."
"On the DTT network I'm proud to say that the signal reached 81% of all people living in South Africa. Sentech is hard at work to ensure that all citizens have access to this network by the end of 2013," said Dina Pule.
"On set-top boxes we continue to interact with all role players in this sector, including broadcasters and manufacturers. This week the department of communications met with bidders for set top box tenders to explain the implications of my decision to review the set-top box control system."
She said that the department of communications will be in a position to evaluate tenders in September and that the first set top boxes should be available by the end of 2013.
"Driving public awareness and education about DTT is the most important part of the digital migration process. We have identified that jobs will be created in areas such as the content development sector, set-top box manufacturing and distribution, installation and the maintenance of set-top boxes and call-centres," said Dina Pule.
