BREAKING. The death of Nelson Mandela instantly impacting South Africa's TV industry as broadcasters scramble; government postpones.

The death of Nelson Mandela is and has instantly impacted South Africa's TV industry, galvanising vast parts of South Africa's broadcasting and television workers into action, leading to multiple hours of late night work and causing the postponements of crucial government announcements such as one over South Africa's digital terrestrial television (DTT) scheduled for today.

TV with Thinus can report that employees from the SABC, e.tv, eNCA, M-Net, SuperSport and MultiChoice stayed at work on Thursday night and worked throughout the early hours on Friday morning following the news of the passing of Nelson Mandela.

At the SABC workers stayed up to report and anchor news reports, the same happened at e.tv and the eNCA where on-air talent as well as those working behind the scenes dug in for a late night and staying until work until sunrise on Friday morning before taking a break and being replaced by other colleagues.

At MultiChoice workers - some who were sleeping at home - were called awake with several who went to work on multiple facets of rolling coverage and special projects and programmes following the death of Nelson Mandela. The same happened for M-Net.

M-Net also suspended running TV commercials during programming out of respect for Nelson Mandela and is filling the schedule across several M-Net channels with music videos related to, or featuring Nelson Mandela.

The death of Nelson Mandela also led to the cancellation on Friday morning of a briefing from the department of communication on South Africa's DTT and more information that the conditional access or encryption system will no longer be mandatory.

The briefing which was set to take place on Friday has been scrapped with the department of communications apologising for the short notice.