The Broadcasting Industry and Manufacture of Decoders in South Africa 2022

Digital platforms have been evolving and consumer behaviour and preferences are shifting in terms of how people consume content. TV and radio broadcasting is now made up of many subscription/pay TV, free-to-air, satellite, commercial, and community broadcasters, over the top providers and subscription on demand players. Companies such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Spotify are disrupting the industry which for many years was dominated by the SABC, eMedia and MultiChoice’s DStv. Plans since 2015 to switch from analogue terrestrial television to digital transmission and distribute free digital set-top boxes to households earning less than R3,500 has still not been completed.

Radio

There has been no detailed radio audience data for well over a year, and the survey methodology was changed by the Broadcast Research Council of South Africa, making it impossible for industry players to discern meaningful trends. However, radio continues to play a major role for the dissemination of news, information and entertainment. Commercial radio services are diversifying their content through podcasts, some of which are sponsored.

Streaming

The rapidly-growing streaming market includes international players such as Netflix and Amazon, and local companies MultiChoice, eMedia, Telkom, and Vodacom, which all offer streaming services that provide on-demand access to TV shows and movies. Research indicates that while streaming is disrupting television, it is less profitable. Internationally, there is a high churn rate of subscribers and while people are attracted to streaming by the content, they often leave due to cost.

Report Coverage

This report focuses on the television and radio broadcasting industry and the manufacture of decoders in South Africa. It includes information on the public and private broadcasters, digital migration, viewership and listenership trends, the performance of major players, regulation and developments. There are profiles of 33 companies including major players such as the SABC and MultiChoice, streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon, set-top box manufacturers including CZ Electronics and community stations including Soweto Community Television and Unitra Community Radio.