Pretoria – The community of Rustenburg will also be brought into the digital migration fold when Communications Minister Faith Muthambi visits the North West on Saturday.
The campaign, which has seen the Minister visit the Northern Cape, Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga, makes citizens aware of what digital migration is and how the move from analogue broadcasting to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) will improve what TV has to offer.
As part of this awareness drive, the Minister has also overseen the registration process for households that are eligible to receive free set-top boxes (STBs) from government.
Government has committed to providing five million STBs to poor households who have an income of less than R3 200 and have a TV licence.
Minister Muthambi said she was encouraged by the public interest in the digital migration campaign.
“Provinces have been receptive to the broadcasting migration public awareness campaign," said the Minister Muthambi on Wednesday.
For the Rustenburg leg of the campaign, she will be accompanied by North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo.
The Minister has made presentations to other stakeholders, including the SA Local Government Authority, as well as Provincial Government members about digital migration and the country’s state of readiness to move from analogue broadcasting.
Minister Muthambi is also in consultation with the Department of Trade and Industry to find out how they can contribute towards building a sustainable electronic manufacturing sector beyond the manufacturing of STBs.
“Equally exciting is the fact that digital migration does not only affect television services. Government is committed to ensuring that all economic opportunities resulting from this project are explored and fully exploited to the benefit of South Africans, especially young people.
“Electronic manufacturers and producers of broadcasting content are just some of the sectors that stand to benefit," she said.
Last month, Minister Muthambi launched the registration of STBs for poor TV-owning households in the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) communities of Keimoes and Kai Garib in the Northern Cape. - SAnews.gov.za
