Communications South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 - South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 - GCIS
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Communications
South Africa Yearbook 2015/16
Communications
South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 89
Communications
South Africa’s combined information and cations, Ms Faith Muthambi, took the first
communications technology (ICT) and general households registration process for STBs to the
communication between government and Square Kilometre Array community of Keimoes,
citizens as well as between citizens and the Kai !Garib Municipality, in the Northern Cape.
private sector is governed by three bodies: The Analogue Switch-Off Event was scheduled
• The Department of Communications (DoC) to take place in Carnarvon, Northern Cape in
• Government Communication and Information October 2016.
System (GCIS) Together with the GCIS, the DoC has
• The Department of Telecommunications and implemented transformation interventions to
Postal Services (DTPS). overhaul the broader communications industry.
In May 2016, the Department of Trade and
Department of Communications Industry republished the Marketing, Advertising
The reorganisation of some national departments and Communication (MAC CHARTER) Sector
in May 2014 included a reconstituted Ministry of Code concluding 15 years of negotiations.
Communications, which is responsible for the This paves the way for the implementation of
overarching communications policy and strategy, the MAC Sector Council, which will monitor the
information dissemination and publicity, and the ambitious transformation targets necessary to
branding of the country abroad. ensure more participation by women and youth.
The DoC comprises the following entities: To give effect to these targets, the DoC has also
Brand South Africa (Brand SA); the Film and entered into a memorandum of understanding
Publication Board (FPB); the Independent with the State-Owned Entities Communicators
Communications Authority of South Africa Association representing the marketing divisions
(ICASA), the Media Development and Diversity of government entities.
Agency (MDDA) and the South African Marketing and advertising communication
Broadcasting Corporation (SABC). reaches over 50 million South Africans every
The vision of the DoC of providing vibrant day.
and sustainable communication services for
an informed citizenry and a positive image of DoC legislation
South Africa supports its mission of creating The department is responsible for the adminis-
an enabling environment for the provision of tration and implementation of the following
inclusive communication services to all South legislation:
Africans in a manner that promotes socio- • Films and Publications Act, 1996 (Act 65 of
economic development and investment through 1996)
broadcasting, new media, print media and new • Broadcasting Act, 1999 (Act 4 of 1999)
technologies, and brand the country locally and • MDDA Act, 2002 (Act 14 of 2002)
internationally. • ICASA Act, 2000 (Act 13 of 2000)
The DoC is spearheading the process of • Electronic Communications and Transactions
migrating broadcasting signals from analogue Act, 2002 (Act 25 of 2002)
to digital. South Africa’s national digital network • The Electronic Communications Act, 2005
coverage comprises digital terrestrial television (Act 36 of 2005).
(DTT) transmission coverage of 84% of the
population with the remaining 16% to be covered DoC entities
by satellite network. Brand SA
DTT is a reliable and cost-efficient means Brand SA develops and implements a proactive
to distribute linear TV content and has many and coordinated international marketing and
advantages over the analogue broadcasting communication strategy for South Africa to
system. One of its major advantages for contribute to job creation and poverty reduction;
communities is that it clears the analogue and to attract inward investment, trade and
spectrum for the delivery of broadband mobile tourism.
Internet and Wi-fi services. The new slogan, “South Africa: Inspiring
To view digital TV signals on an ordinary New Ways”, represents the next phase of the
analogue TV set, consumers will need a set-top country’s development, where South Africa has
box (STB). moved from possibility to delivery, and is now an
Government will provide about five million important regional power.
financially disadvantaged TV-owning households Internationally, Brand SA lobbies and networks
with free STBs. extensively among global opinion leaders to shift
In October 2015, the Minister of Communi- perceptions about the country and the continent.
South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 90Communications
Being a member of the Brazil-Russia-India- providers of telecommunications and postal
China-South Africa (BRICS) trade bloc, for services
example, provides a platform to engage and • making regulations
influence perceptions. • imposing licence conditions
Brand SA also regularly brings groups of • planning, assigning, controlling, enforcing and
international journalists to the country to interact managing the frequency spectrum
with government and business representatives, • ensuring international and regional cooperation
experience local life and culture, and learn about • ensuring the efficient allocation of numbers
the country’s latest technological developments. • ensuring interoperability of networks
• receiving and resolving complaints.
Film and Publication Board
The FPB assists the public to make informed Media Development and Diversity Agency
choices about whether a particular film is The MDDA promotes media development and
appropriate by displaying guidelines that identify diversity to ensure that all citizens can access
classifiable elements such as strong language, information in a language of their choice; and to
violence, sex, nudity, drug abuse, blasphemy transform media access, ownership and control
and religious prejudice. patterns in South Africa.
The Film and Publications Act, 1996 (Act 3 of It was established in terms of the MDDA Act
1996) recognises the right of adults to freedom of 2002.
of expression, except with respect to child The agency functions independently from and
pornography, and requires the board to intervene at arm’s length of its funders, and political-party
where there is a risk of harm to children. and commercial interests. This arrangement
The board spearheads a national anti-child- enables government, the media industry and
pornography campaign to educate learners donors to work together to address the legacy of
about ways to avoid victimisation. Child- imbalances in media access.
pornography websites can be reported by calling Its mandate includes:
the board’s toll-free number 0800 148 148. • creating an enabling environment for media
development and diversity which reflects the
Independent Communications needs and aspirations of all South Africans
Authority of South Africa • redressing exclusion and marginalisation of
ICASA was established in July 2000 as a disadvantaged communities and persons from
merger of the telecommunications regulator, the access to the media and the media industry
South African Telecommunications Regulatory • promoting media development and diversity
Authority and the Independent Broadcasting by providing support primarily to community
Authority. and small commercial media projects
The ICASA Amendment Act, 2014 (Act 2 of • encouraging ownership and control of, and
2014) also provided for the incorporation of the access to, media by historically disadvantaged
Postal Regulator into ICASA. It also increased communities as well as by historically
ICASA’s council complement from seven to nine diminished indigenous language and cultural
councillors. groups
ICASA is responsible for regulating the • encouraging the development of human
telecommunications, broadcasting and postal resources and training, and capacity-building,
industries in the public interest and ensure within the media industry, especially among
affordable services of a high quality for all South historically disadvantaged groups
Africans. ICASA also issues licences to telecom- • encouraging the channelling of resources to
munications and broadcasting service providers, the community media and small commercial
enforces compliance with rules and regulations, media sectors
protects consumers from unfair business • raising public awareness with regard to media
practices and poor quality services, hears and development and diversity issues.
decides on disputes and complaints brought
against licensees and controls and manages the South African Broadcasting
effective use of radio frequency spectrum. Corporation
ICASA is a Chapter 9 institution in terms of the The SABC is the country’s only public service
South African Constitution and is an entity of the broadcaster. An Act of Parliament established
DoC. the SABC in August 1936. At its inception, the
ICASA’s functions include: SABC only had one English radio station. In
• licensing broadcasters, signal distributors and 1976, it launched the country’s then first and only
South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 91Communications
television channel. the Thusong Service Centres programme to
The SABC is made up of 18 radio stations, widen government access.
which cater for the country’s 11 official languages, Repositioning means the department, working
as well as the iXun and Khwe language, and four with partner departments, will have to look at the
television channels, which include a 24-hour possibility of identifying the suitable structure,
news channel. platforms and partnerships to effectively fulfil the
The SABC, which is governed by the mandate of the programme, which is not only
Broadcasting Act, 1999 (as amended), has limited to information.
developed editorial policies which guide and give The GCIS continues to enhance existing
direction to the corporation’s public broadcasting communication platforms and products, and
mandate and licence conditions, as set by initiate new ones to ensure that targeted
ICASA and the provisions of the Broadcasting audiences and communities receive relevant
Act, 1999. information through various means.
The organisation’s vision, “Broadcast for Total It is also establishing partnerships with
Citizen Empowerment”, propels it in fulfilling its strategic stakeholders within the three spheres
public-service mandate as a broadcaster. The of government, and within broader society, to
SABC’s television platforms continually perform achieve more.
well, with audience ratings seeing its programming The GCIS supports municipalities in their
belong to the top 19 of 20 programmes across all communication, with preference given to munici-
broadcasters. The SABC’s radio stable was no palities that are part of the Local Government
different, with eight out of the top 10 radio stations Turnaround Strategy, to close the gap between
in the country belonging to it. municipalities and communities, which
As part of its corporate plan, the SABC has set sometimes contributes to the factors behind
itself three key strategic pillars for the next three protests in some communities.
years . These are: The department has a mandate to ensure
• stabilising the corporation as a going concern that government’s vision and policies are clearly
in compliance with the Government Guarantee understood in the public service. The GCIS
• rebuilding the corporation by re-aligning its coordinates the Internal Communicators’ Forum,
operating model with the imperatives of the to ensure messages disseminated across the
digital broadcasting environment various channels and outlets managed by
• creating a sustainable public-service broad departments are coherent.
caster for the future. Communicating government information is not
the primary business of the public media.
Government Communication and Vuk’uzenzele, a free national government
Information System newspaper, continues to gain traction among its
The GCIS mandate is to serve as the central target audience.
communications agency of government Vuk’uzenzele is the only newspaper in the
leading the reconstruction and development of country available in Braille and all official
post-apartheid South Africa. The GCIS mobilises languages. The online version of the newspaper
the nation behind the National Development Plan is due for further enhancement and improved
(NDP), showcases progress and invites South usability.
Africans to work together to address challenges SAnews.gov.za produces hard news and
is critical to the achievement of Vision 2030. human-interest features, and carries many
The GCIS is responsible for informing all exciting pictures, video content on YouTube. It is
citizens of South Africa about government’s work also available on Facebook and Twitter.
and how they can participate in governance and The government news agency has become
consolidating the country’s democracy. more popular with the public and it will continue
The GCIS has a responsibility to act in the to be marketed to the broader public as a
interest of all South Africans, without discrimi- complement to South Africa’s rapidly diversifying
nation and to communicate effectively in all news and information mix. It has also entered
official languages and reach all communities in into mutual-cooperation agreements with various
urban, peri-urban and rural areas. foreign news agencies.
The GCIS reaches millions of South Africans The GCIS, through its media-buying operation,
through different platforms, which include continues to support the financial viability of a
publications, the news media, radio, television diverse community media sector, by placing
and izimbizo. over R38 million in advertising in the community
Cabinet directed the department to reposition press, radio and television.
South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 92Communications Department of to the current infrastructure based competition. Telecommunications and Postal They also seek to facilitate the entry of previously Services excluded black players in the sector and facilitate The mandate of the DTPS is to create a vibrant greater and fairer competition. ICT sector that ensures that all South Africans The National Integrated ICT White Paper have access to robust, reliable, affordable and replaces the separate White Papers on Telecom- secure ICT services in order to advance socio- munications (1996) and Postal Services (1998). economic development goals and support the It responds to the development of technology Africa agenda and contribute to building a better including convergence, digitisation, the world. increasing use of the Internet, and how South The core functions of the DTPS include Africans communicate, work and interact with developing ICT policies and legislation; and Government. ensuring the development of robust, reliable, The policy is a strategic instrument to secure and affordable ICT infrastructure implement what is envisaged by the National that supports and enables the provision of a Development Plan as it introduces a range multiplicity of applications and services to meet of interventions to ensure everyone in South the needs of the country and its people. Africa, irrespective where they live or their socio- The six state-owned enterprises under the economic status can access the benefits of DTPS are the South African Post Office (SAPO), participating in the digital society. Sentech; National Electronic Media Institute The White Paper lays the foundation for of South Africa (NEMISA); Universal Service realising the NDP vision for the ICT sector to and Access Agency of South Africa (USAASA); create “a seamless information infrastructure by Telkom; .za.Domain Name Authority (ZADNA); 2030 that will underpin a dynamic and connected Broadband Infraco and State Information vibrant information society and a knowledge Technology Agency (SITA). economy that is more inclusive, equitable The department’s objectives are in line with the and prosperous”.The policy is expected to be country’s NDP, which recommends developing approved by Cabinet in the 2016/17 financial a coordinated and enabling ICT strategy and a year. plan that cuts across government departments The department has the following key priorities: and sectors to improve e-literacy, and provide • Schools Connectivity clarity on the roles and functions of the state to • Community Radio prevent unintended policy outcomes. • Rural Development The plan also calls for a full policy review on South Africa Connect, the National Broadband the ICT sector, which has not been done since Policy, and the associated strategy and plan, 1995. The department has therefore prioritised give expression to South Africa’s vision in the the following key policy initiatives: NDP of “a seamless information infrastructure by • ICT Policy Review – a comprehensive review 2030 that will underpin a dynamic and connected of policies for telecommunications, postal vibrant information society and a knowledge services, broadcasting and information economy that is more inclusive, equitable and technology. prosperous”. • The Electronic Communications Amendment In this regard, the department contributes to Bill – is important for ensuring the sector’s government’s Outcome 6, which focuses on the continued dynamism. development of an efficient, competitive, and • National Broadband Policy: the broadband responsive economic infrastructure network. master plan that will ensure that the roles In the 2015/16 financial year, the DTPS and responsibilities of key stakeholders in the planned to provide connectivity to 1 296 identified sector are clearly defined. government institutions through the implemen- • National Integrated ICT White Paper, which tation of Phase 1 of the Digital Development Plan provides possible policy options and approaches of how the country can participate in the digital Budget economy - from rolling out the modern communi- The DTPS’s final allocation for the 2015/16 cations networks, to skills development revolution financial year amounted to R1.405 billion and and to exploiting opportunities presented by was made up of the baseline allocation of R1.413 the Internet economy. These policy options billion and an adjustment of minus R10 million. support open access networks that eliminate The adjusted allocation includes additional the uneconomicduplication of infrastructure to R1.9 million for higher personnel remuneration facilitate services-based competition as opposed and the decrease of R10 million under goods South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 93
Communications
and services which was transferred to the new to the public, and derives its mandate from the
DoC as a result of a transfer of function. SAPO SOC Ltd Act, 2011 and the South African
The spending for the 2015/16 financial year Postbank Limited Act, 2010.
amounted to R1.300 billion (92.5 %) from The Postal Services Act of 1998 grants it an
the adjusted budget of R1.405 billion and the exclusive mandate to conduct postal services.
underspending is R105.2 million. The spending This Act makes provision for the regulation of
rate is 5% less than the 2014/15 financial year’s postal services and operational functions of
expenditure. the postal company, including universal service
The underspending is mainly due to the delay obligations and the financial services activities of
in filling vacant positions and the implementation Postbank.
of the South Africa Connect Broadband project. The entity’s strategic goals are to:
The implementation of the project was delayed • maintain good corporate governance
as the department was exploring various options principless
to implement the decision by the February 2015 • remain customer centric by providing quality
Cabinet Lekgotla to designate Telkom as the services
Lead Agency for Broadband roll-out. • invest in employees by building capacity and
Cabinet Lekgotla re-iterated its decision to implementing transformation programmes
designate Telkom as the Lead Agency during its • attain financial sustainability while delivering
July 2015 meeting and requested the department on government’s social mandate
to conduct a value for money analysis and • provide affordable postal and related services
present the outcome to Cabinet also outlining that meet the needs of customers
the legal processes to be followed to effect the • remain environmentally conscious by
appointment. promoting green practices
• provide a secure, efficient and integrated
Legislation infrastructure for better responses to its
The Electronic Communications Act of 2005 stakeholders
allows the Minister of Telecommunications and • continue the corporatisation of Postbank and
Postal Services to draft policies in order to the upgrading of its banking systems.
fulfil South Africa’s obligations under bilateral, Post offices have become important service-
multilateral, and international treaties and delivery centres, offering South Africans a
conventions; set guidelines for the determi- convenient place to accept and deliver cash-on-
nation of certain licence fees by ICASA; promote delivery items, which is a very important service
universal service and electronic communications in rural communities where some people shop
services in underserviced areas; promote the from catalogues.
participation of small business in the ICT sector; In addition, more than a million South Africans
and enhance the capacity of and exercise walk through the doors of post offices near where
oversight of state owned enterprises. they live to access their social grants.
In addition to the Electronic Communications Post offices also offer services that include
Act of 2005, the department’s mandate is derived enabling South Africans to renew their vehicle
from the following legislation: registration, and pay their municipal accounts
• Electronic Communications and Transactions and television licences.
Act, 2002 Over the medium term, the SAPO plans to
• Sentech Act, 1996 (Act 63 of 1996) focus on continuing to provide access to postal
• Postal Services Act, 1998 (Act 124 of 1998) and related services, and increasing the number
• SAPO SOC Ltd Act, 2002 (Act 22 of 2011) of addresses to allow wider access to postal and
• South African Postbank Limited Act, 2010 (Act financial services in under-serviced areas.
9 of 2010) The organisation expects to roll out 1,5 million
• State Information Technology Agency Act, community addresses over the medium term
1998 (Act 88 of 1998) to allow both new communities and existing
• Broadband Infraco Act, 2007 (Act 33 of 2007). communities without street or postal addresses
to receive mail. It also plans to maintain 2 050
DTPS entities points of presence (which include post offices,
South African Post Office mobile units and retail 577 postal agencies) by
SAPO is a Schedule 2 Public Entity in terms 2018/19 to meet government’s social mandate.
of the Public Finance Management Act, 1999 To allow the organisation to attract funding
(PFMA). It is a government business enterprise and improve revenue, R650 million has been
established to provide postal and related services allocated in 2016/17 for the recapitalisation of
South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 94Communications
the Post Office. and civil society. The INeSI is aimed at developing
In addition, the organisation has been tasked the local e-skills required by South Africa’s ICT
with managing the distribution of set-top boxes sector, and it will also develop ICT-user skills by
and antennae for the broadcasting digital training people how to use electronic devices,
migration project, and receives an additional how to use the Internet, and how to access
R480 million from the DTPS over the medium public services online.
term for this. The USAASA was also expected to NEMISA began as a non-profit institute of
contribute an additional R146 million. education formed as part of a government
initiative in 1998, in response to the White Paper
Sentech on Broadcasting Policy.
Sentech Limited is a state-owned enterprise The institute’s main purpose was to train
established in terms of the Sentech Act, 1996 previously disadvantaged individuals, partic-
and is listed as a schedule 3B public entity ularly women, to equip them with the necessary
in terms of the PFMA of 1999. The company skills to play significant roles in the constantly
is mandated to provide broadcasting signal changing broadcasting environment.
distribution for broadcasting licensees, with a Hands-on training include in electronic media,
particular focus on accelerating the implemen- namely national certificates in Radio Production
tation of government ICT interventions within L5; 2D and 3D Animation L5 and Technical
the framework of the NDP and the strategic and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)
integrated project for expanding access to Level 4 in Film and Television Production and
communication technology. Design Foundation.
The entity’s strategic goals over the medium The Media Information and Communication
term were to: Technologies Sector and Training Authority Seta
• align its strategic roadmap with shareholder accredit all courses.
programmes to enable the development
of open access government participation Universal Service and Access Agency of
in the communications industry through South Africa
infrastructure-based investment USAASA is a state-owned entity established
• continue working to support and realise in terms of the Electronic Communications
government’s ICT vision and goals, including and Transactions Act, 2002 with a mandate
innovation in broadcasting and media services, of promoting the goal of universal access and
and content management and distribution universal services by ensuring that ICTs are
• create solutions that enhance the customer available, accessible and affordable to all
experience and are in line with government’s citizens of South Africa.
mandate of access to communication services The agency is charged with managing the
for all citizens Universal Service and Access Fund (USAF),
• repackage social responsibility interventions which is used to fulfil universal access obligations
and create community social investment ICT in underserviced areas.
programmes that improve lives, create value Through USAF, the agency has played a
and are sustainable. pivotal role in the deployment of broadband
Sentech derives commercial revenue from infrastructure and access services with
terrestrial television services, terrestrial FM and broadband projects having been successfully
AM radio services, satellite linking, facility rentals rolled-out in the following underserviced areas.
and the sale of satellite decoders. USAASA continues to support the NDP,
Medium Term Strategic Framework and
National Electronic Media Institute of South South Africa Connect goals by facilitating the
Africa deployment of broadband and connecting
By mid-2016, NEMISA, a state-owned entity, educational institutions, primary healthcare
was in the process of being incorporated into facilities and other government institutions
the Ikamva National e-Skills Institute (INeSI). through USAF.
The new organisation involves the integration of By 2017, existing broadband network
three entities: NEMISA, INeSI and the Institute connections are to be maintained in 127
for Satellite and Software Applications. schools, 93 clinics and 38 traditional ICT centres
The merger was initiated to address the in compliance with Section 88 of the Electronic
overlap, duplication and gaps in e-skills Communications and Transactions Act, 2002.
development within and between government Broadband projects are also to be initiated and
departments, the education sector, business completed in two local municipal areas of the
South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 95Communications
OR Tambo District in the Eastern Cape. dominate the fixed broadband market in South
By facilitating the roll-out of broadband Africa, with DSL subscriptions forecast to reach
connections in underserviced areas and 1,66 million by the end of 2018. Total fixed
connecting educational and primary healthcare broadband subscriptions in South Africa are
institutions the agency is bringing South Africa forecast to number 2,06 million by the end of
one step closer to achieving its national targets 2018.
of 100% broadband penetration by 2020; and
deployment of a full range of government, Broadband Infraco
educational, and informational services by 2030. Broadband Infraco sells high-capacity
long-distance transmission services to licensed
.za Domain Name Authority fixed and mobile network operators, internet
ZADNA is a not-for-profit company that service providers and other value-added network
manages and regulates the .za namespace. It is service providers. It has a 13 600-km network of
accountable to the DTPS, but does not receive long-distance fibre and five open-access points
government funding, which means it is exempt of presence in key metropolitan areas – with an
from complying with the PFMA, 1999. additional seven open-access points of presence
The ZA Central Registry, through ZADNA’s expected over the next few years.
guidance and the African Union (AU) To enhance South Africa’s international
Commission, has made significant progress connectivity and the speed of broadband,
in its application for the right to establish and Broadband Infraco has co-invested with the
operate an Africa Internet namespace for the private sector in the deployment of the West
benefit of Africa. African Cable System (WACS).
ZADNA has also ensured that Cape Town, The WACS is the fifth submarine cable system
Durban and Johannesburg are not left behind in linking South Africa to the world. Broadband
the Internet revolution, which will bring about new Infraco’s investment in the WACS entitled it to
website addresses such as hotels.capetown, 11,4% of the system’s total capacity, which would
tourism.durban and business.johannesburg. help South Africa meet its target of providing
The ZA Central Registry, formerly known as broadband connectivity to all who need it by
UniForum SA, was established as a non-profit 2020.
organisation in 1988 by a group of end users, The cable system has 15 established terminal
developers, and vendors. It was assigned the stations en route, and will reduce the cost to
responsibility of administering the co.za domain connect Africa’s west coast with the high-speed
name space in 1995, three years after the first global telecommunications network for years to
co.za domain name was registered. come.
The World Wide Web started to take off
globally, and the number of co.za domain name State Information Technology Agency
registrations rose rapidly. In 1995, the co.za SITA consolidates and coordinates the State’s
zone contained in the region of 400 entries. information technology resources to achieve
Today there are 1,1 million domains. cost savings through scale, increase delivery
According to the ZA Central Registry, co.za capabilities and enhance interoperability.
ranks as a medium to large zone and within the SITA is committed to leveraging Information
top 30 registries worldwide in terms of size. Technology (IT) as a strategic resource for
government, managing the IT procurement and
Telkom delivery process to ensure that the government
Telkom is Africa’s largest integrated communi- gets value for money, and using IT to support the
cations company, providing integrated communi- delivery of e-Government services to all citizens.
cations solutions to nine different countries It serves as the IT business for the largest
across Africa. The organisational structure employer and consumer of IT products and
comprises three major business units: Telkom services in South Africa – the Government.
South Africa, Telkom International and Telkom
Data Centre Operations. South African Accreditation Authority
It is listed on the Johannesburg Stock Ex- The South African Accreditation Authority was
change Ltd and majority-owned by the DoC. established in terms of the Electronic Communi-
Telkom was the country’s only fixed-line operator cations and Transactions Act, 2002. The
until 2006, when the country’s second fixed-line authority is responsible for the accreditation of
operator, Neotel, began its operations. authentication and certification products and
According to PwC, Telkom will continue to services used in support of electronic signatures.
South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 96Communications
It is also concerned with monitoring of the population densities that remain unserved.
activities of authentication and certification However, the real gap is in the last-mile or
service providers whose products or services “local loop” infrastructure. There is considerable
have been accredited within the Republic of duplication and potential under-exploitation of
South Africa. infrastructure in metropolitan areas because
The Director-General of the DTPS is appointed these areas were commercially attractive to
as the South African Accreditation Authority, and service providers.
may appoint Deputy South African Accreditation To address this gap government had found it
Authorities and officers from employees of the necessary to consider a range of interventions on
department after consultation with the Minister. both the demand and supply-side of broadband.
Supply side interventions to encourage
Presidential National Commission investment and rollout of infrastructure include:
(PNC) on Information Society and • support for public/private investment initiatives
Development (ISAD) • increased competition
The PNC on ISAD advises the President on • expansion of core and access networks
matters related to the development of an • enablement of infrastructure sharing
inclusive information society; and facilitates • promotion of coordinated build programmes
the coordinated development of an inclusive • allocation of prime spectrum to support
information society, and the achievement of the universal access.
country’s information society vision. To complement the supply chain, government
The commission comprises leaders in determined a number of demand-side
government, industry and civil society. A interventions. These seek to stimulate the uptake
corresponding body is the Presidential Interna- and usage of broadband services and products:
tional Advisory Council on ISAD. • increased affordability of services and devices
• aggregation of government demand to
Programmes and initiatives enhance procurement
Broadband infrastructure development • alignment of regulatory framework
Broadband is an essential digital resource for • development of ICT skills and e-literacy
accessing basic services, products, commerce • development of local content, applications
and job creation. It has the potential to create • stimulation of niche manufacturing.
job opportunities and open new markets that will Government’s intention is to invest in broadband
allow businesses – particularly small, medium infrastructure through aggregation of public
and micro-enterprises (SMMEs) – to grow. sector demand and smart procurement of high
Given the strategic importance of broadband, capacity networks.
the department, together with the ICT industry,
has committed to delivering 100% broadband Rural Development Strategy
penetration and creating a million jobs by 2020. ICTs play a significant role in speeding up the
The department is aware of the inter-connect- integration of services for the development of
edness of broadband and the licensing of radio rural areas and ensuring that rural communities,
frequency spectrum, which is a scarce natural including those in remote areas, are not left out
resource. of the knowledge economy.
The Broadband Strategy and Implemen- The main goal of the department’s Rural
tation Plan outlines fibre connectivity across the Development Strategy is, therefore, to address
country to district level. the vacuum in rural ICT and empower rural
According to the Ministry of Telecommuni- communities by promoting sustainable job
cations and Postal Services, government is creation and eradicating poverty in rural areas.
planning a number of supply and demand-side The strategy includes programmes that will
broadband interventions in South Africa to encourage civil society to promote the use
address the gap between those who have of ICT services and provide the necessary
access to digital services and those who do not. infrastructure.
An infrastructure gap-analysis study has
indicated that there is a gap between the Job creation
high-capacity backbone and access to network In line with government’s New Growth Path,
infrastructure. This gap is biggest in rural areas the DTPS, together with the ICT sector, aims to
and in particular in former homeland states facilitate the creation of over 150 000 direct and
where the most marginalised communities live. indirect jobs by 2020.
There are also some urban areas with high An industry-wide committee will be established
South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 97Communications
to identify opportunities, using a collective Social media
database to ensure effective monitoring and The emergence of social media as a social and
evaluation. business communication tool in the last few
Jobs will be created across various subsectors years, has been dramatic.
of the industry through: In South Africa, a country where first and
• providing broadband infrastructure third-world conditions are often separated by
• establishing content hubs for radio and just a few kilometres, social media has levelled
television the playing field and created a platform that is
• animation affordable for everyone, easy to use and highly
• e-co-operatives effective as a communication tool.
• using ICTs in TVET colleges The top social media sites in South Africa (by
• tailor-made solutions for SMMEs number of users) in 2015 were:
• digital broadcasting and distributing STBs • Facebook – 13 million
• rolling out PostBank. • YouTube – 8,28 million
• Twitter – 7,4 million
Internet • LinkedIn – 4,6 million
Statistics South Africa’s General Household • Instagram – 2,68 million.
Survey 2015 shows that half of South African
households (53,5%) had at least one member Online retail
who used the Internet either at home, workplace, For the first time since the dawn of e-commerce
place of study, or Internet cafés. in South Africa, online retail in South Africa was
More than half of households in Gauteng expected to reach 1% of overall retail during
(65,7%) and Western Cape (63,3%) had access 2016. This was the most significant finding of
to the Internet while only just over one-third of the Online Retail in South Africa 2016 report
households in Limpopo (39,3%) had access to released by World Wide Worx.
the Internet. According to the report, online retail continues
Access to the Internet using all available to grow at a high rate in South Africa, having
means was highest in Gauteng (65,7%), Western maintained a growth rate of above 20% since the
Cape (63,3%) and Mpumalanga (55,7%). The turn of the century. In 2015, the rate of growth
lowest was in Limpopo (39,6%) and KwaZulu- was 26%, taking online retail to the R7,5-billion
Natal (42,3%). Nearly one-tenth of South African mark.
households had access to the Internet at home. While the rate was expected to fall a little
Access to the Internet at home was highest in 2016, to 20%, growth in Rand terms was
among households in the Western Cape expected to remain the same as in 2015, taking
(21,4%) and Gauteng (15,6%), and lowest in the total to above R9 billion. Much of this growth
Limpopo (1,3%) and North West (3,6%). The has been attributed to an increase in the number
places where the largest percentages of South of experienced Internet users in South Africa
Africans tend to access the Internet include, who are ready to transact online.
atwork (15,1%), within the household/ at home Forecasts by World Wide Worx for the next
(9,7%), and at school/university/college (5,1%). five years, from 2016 to 2020, show online retail
Households in Western Cape (21,4%) and sales almost exactly doubling over this period.
Gauteng (15,6%) were most likely to access the
Internet at home while households in Limpopo Cybercrime and cybersecurity
(1,3%) were least likely to have done so. Cyberspace comes with new types of challenges
While 16% of households in metropolitan to the governments of the world and it therefore
areas had access to the Internet, only 1,2% of introduces a further dimension to National
households in the rural areas of Eastern Cape, Security. It is a borderless platform that enables
KwaZulu-Natal (1,1%), North West (0,9%) and more sophisticated threats such as cybercrime,
Limpopo (0,5%) enjoyed the same access. cyber terrorism, cyber war and cyber espionage.
Households were generally more likely to For this reason, the cyber threats need to be
have access to the Internet at work than at home addressed at both the global and national levels.
or at Internet cafes or at educational institutions. During the reporting period the DTPS ensured
Households in Gauteng and Western Cape that the ICT Infrastructure of the Virtual Cyberse-
were most likely to access the Internet at work curity Hub was reconfigured and hardened
while those in Limpopo were least likely to do so. after which the Department commissioned and
launched the virtual Cybersecurity Hub on 30
October 2015.
South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 98Communications
The Cybersecurity Hub offers alerts and Africa is forecast to grow at a fairly strong rate,
warnings, announcements, security related albeit from a low base, to reach 12.6 million at the
information dissemination, incident handling end of 2018. Mobile devices are also a significant
and incident response support as services to its contributor to the increasing popularity of mobile
constituents. These services can be categorised Internet access.
as proactive, reactive and social services. The number of active tablet devices is
Regarding incident handling, incidents are expected to rise to a projected 5,1 million at the
logged via the Cybersecurity Hub website and end of 2018.
depending on their evaluation, incidents that According to Statistics South Africa’s General
can be handled by the Cybersecurity Hub are Household Survey 2015, mobile access to the
timeously resolved or else relevant incidents are Internet has made it much more accessible to
escalated to other agencies for further investi- households in rural areas. Whereas only 2,1%,
gation. 3,7% and 3,1% of households respectively
had access to the Internet at home, at work
Mobile communications and elsewhere, more than a third (33,7%) had
South Africa has one of the largest telecom- access through mobile devices.
munications markets on the continent. It has Mobile devices also created opportunities in
five mobile operators, namely Cell C, MTN, urban areas where larger proportions of urban
Vodacom, Telkom Mobile and virtual network and metropolitan households had access to
operator Virgin Mobile. the Internet through mobile devices in Western
Mobile phones are the dominant technology Cape and Gauteng.
for voice and data communication among
base of pyramid (BoP) users and for informal Postal sector
businesses. People in this group access the The cornerstone of national policy for the postal
Internet mostly via their mobile phones and sector is the provision of a universal service at
smartphones have taken over functions that an affordable price and an acceptable standard
used to be performed by computers. for all citizens. To ensure this, a universal service
Users are also finding innovative ways to obligation has been placed on SAPO.
bypass expensive cellphone SMS rates by To offset the cost of providing a basic service
using Facebook Zero or other instant message in low-density, rural or unviable areas, it has also
services such as WhatsApp. been common practice to confer exclusive rights
Although half of the 50 million people in South and privileges, i.e. a monopoly on the provision
Africa live below the poverty line, more than 75% of the basic letter service.
among those in low-income groups who are Mail Business has 26 mail-sorting centres for
15 years or older own a mobile phone. domestic mail and parcels, and three interna-
Mobile ownership at the BoP – households tional sorting centres for international mail and
with an income of less than R432 per month, parcels. Between these centres, some six million
per household member – is relatively high, mail items are handled daily and 50 tons of
compared to other African countries. This is parcels are processed a year.
according to research commissioned by infoDev, Mail is transported to and from these sorting
a global partnership programme within the World centres domestically to 7 188 delivery offices
Bank Group, about the use of mobile phones (delivery depot centres, lobby boxes and 2 443
among BoP users. post office branches).
Some of 98,5% low-income groups who own Specialised SAPO products include:
mobile phones in South Africa have a prepaid • Securemail
SIM card, but there is a small percentage (1,5%) • Speed Services Couriers
of BoP mobile owners who have post-paid • Parcelplus
contracts. • insurance and cash-on-delivery
The number of mobile Internet subscriptions in • Postbank
South Africa is expected to grow to 35,2 million • a courier freight group made up of XPS and
by the end of 2018. This is according to the PX
South African Entertainment and Media Outlook: • Docex.
2014 – 2018, published by financial services
company PwC in September 2014. By 2018, Philatelic Services
as much as 72% of South Africa’s mobile SAPO’s Philatelic Services is responsible for
subscriptions will be for mobile Internet. producing South Africa’s postage stamps and
The number of LTE subscriptions in South other stamp-related products.
South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 99Communications
SAPO prints more than 380 million postage and mailboxes.
stamps a year. They not only reach every corner
of South Africa, but also the rest of the world. The media
Although stamps are produced mainly to serve South Africa is fortunate to have vibrant and
as prepayment for postage, their beauty and independent media.
historical significance have inspired people to According to the Bill of Rights, as contained
collect them since the first postage stamps were in the Constitution, everyone has the right to
produced in England in 1840. freedom of expression, which includes:
Over the years, many of them have become • freedom of the press and other media
valuable collector’s items. For example, the • freedom to receive or impart information or
first triangular postage stamp was issued on ideas
1 September 1853 in the Cape of Good Hope, • freedom of artistic creativity
which was a British colony at the time. The • academic freedom and freedom of scientific
triangular-shaped stamp, which became known research.
as the Cape Triangular, was the first stamp to be Several laws, policies and organisations act to
issued in Africa and has become a sought-after protect and promote press freedom in South
collector’s item worldwide. Africa.
Stamp issues are divided into two main
categories: Radio
• Definitive stamps are issued every five to Radio is a great communications medium and
seven years and comprise a set of designs in still enjoys the broadest reach of any media
a full range of face values to provide for the category in South Africa. The diversity of
country’s postal needs. They usually reflect a stations, formats, voices and offerings ensures
particular theme. that most of the public’s needs are catered for.
• Commemorative stamps are issued according It also fulfils a vital need for information and
to an annual commemorative stamp-issuing. entertainment, with relatively low costs to the
programme. Between 12 and 15 commemo- distributors and the listeners.
rative issues are produced per year. They often As a communication medium, radio has very
commemorate significant historical events or few barriers to access. SABC Radio has more
people, or coincide with important days. than 25 million listeners weekly in South Africa.
The fact that radio cuts across boundaries
Postbank of illiteracy strengthens the importance of the
The Postbank Limited Act, 2010 allows SAPO medium to the consumer and the advertiser.
to prioritise the banking needs of the unbanked The SABC’s national radio network comprises
majority, thus facilitating their inclusion into the 18 radio stations, of which 15 are dedicated
economic mainstream. The Act establ ished the specifically to public-service broadcasting.
Postbank division of SAPO as a separate legal These include 11 full-spectrum stations, one
entity, with the principal aim of expanding the in each of the official languages of South Africa;
existing range of banking services to, among a cultural service for the Indian community
others: broadcasting in English; a regional community
• improve access to affordable services, station broadcasting in isiXhosa and English;
including loans, especially in rural and lower- and a community station broadcasting in the !Xu
income communities and Khwe languages of the Khoisan people of
• promote a culture of saving. the Northern Cape.
In doing so, the Postbank will use the existing The SABC has three stations in its commercial
SAPO infrastructure, but it is not bound by the portfolio. These are 5FM, Metro FM and Good
Act to do so exclusively. Hope FM. Channel Africa broadcasts live on
three platforms: shortwave, satellite and the
PostNet Internet. Its broadcasts are in Chinyanja, Silozi,
PostNet is South Africa’s largest privately owned Kiswahili, English, French and Portuguese.
counter network in the document and parcel
industry, trading across more than 250 owner- Commercial radio stations
managed retail stores. Commercial radio stations in South Africa
It serves in excess of 55 000 walk-in customers include:
per day, countrywide. • Algoa FM
There are five product types within PostNet, • Classic FM
namely courier, copy and print, digital, stationery • Kaya FM
South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 100Communications
• YFM news slot. This success led to the launch of
• 94.7 Highveld Stereo the leading 24-hour news channel on the DStv
• 702 Talk Radio platform, eNCA (eNews Channel Africa) in 2008.
• Metro FM
• 5FM Satellite broadcasting
• Channel Africa MultiChoice started as the subscriber
• Good Hope FM management arm of M-Net. It is the leading
• Jacaranda 94.2 multichannel digital satellite television operator
• OFM across the African continent. MultiChoice
• East Coast Radio provides its DStv services to different market
• 567 Cape Talk segments. The DStv bouquets cater for different
• Radio 2000 lifestyles and pockets, from entry level to
• Capricorn FM premium.
• Radio KFM Top-TV offers five bouquet options, arranged
• Power 98.7. in seven package options.
Stations such as Jacaranda 94.2, Highveld e.sat tv supplies television, mobile and online
Stereo, Radio Oranje, Radio Algoa and East news to various channels in South Africa and
Coast Radio were initially SABC stations, but across the African continent under the brand
were sold to private owners to diversify radio name eNews Channel Africa (eNCA). Growing
ownership in South Africa as part of the transfor- out of the success of eNews Prime Time, aired
mation of the public broadcaster. on e.tv, eNCA is South Africa’s first and most
Many of South Africa’s radio stations are also watched independent 24-hour television news
available online. channel on the DStv Platform (Channel 403).
Pay TV group Siyaya made headlines when
Community radio the group secured the live broadcast rights to
Community broadcasting remains an important Bafana Bafana matches from May 2015. The deal
project for the DoC. In the midst of redefining the between Siyaya and the South African Football
country’s broadcasting landscape, 2014 marked Association is reported to be worth R175 million
the 21st anniversary of community broadcasting. per year, over six years. Siyaya was one of five
new broadcasters, which received conditional
Television licences to be pay TV broadcasters that had now
The SABC’s television network comprises three submitted the necessary additional information
television channels – all free-to-air. South African required of them to ICASA. This submission
television is broadcast in all 11 official languages ensures compliance with ICASA’s requirements,
and in Sign Language. and allows Siyaya to continue with its expansion
plans.
Community television Siyaya said in its submission to ICASA for its
In 2007, Soweto TV was the first community licence that it plans to charge a subscription fee
television station to obtain a seven-year of R70 per month.
broadcasting licence from ICASA.
Since then, five more seven-year licences Print
have been issued to five stations operating in Technical handling of the print media in South
Soweto, Cape Town, Tshwane, Empangeni Africa rates among the best in the world. This
and Nelson Mandela Bay. The issuing is one reason why newspapers and magazines
of new community television licences is on have held their own in a volatile information
hold until the migration from analogue to digital era, characterised by the vast development of
broadcasting is complete. various new forms of media-delivery platforms
via the Internet.
Free-to-air television Most South African newspapers and
e.tv is South Africa’s first private, free-to-air magazines are organised into several major
television channel, launched in 1998. It is the publishing houses: Media24 (part of Naspers,
largest English-medium channel in the country the largest media group in Africa), the Irish-based
and the third largest overall. e.tv also has a Independent News & Media (Pty) Ltd group,
pan-African presence through e.tv Africa, which Caxton Publishers & Printers Ltd and Avusa
is distributed on the DStv Africa bouquet and by Ltd. Other important media players include
local affiliates in African countries. eNews Prime M&G Media Ltd; the Natal Witness Printing
Time continues to lead the English prime time & Publishing Company (Pty) Ltd; Primedia
South Africa Yearbook 2015/16 101Communications
Publishing Ltd; Ramsay, Son and Parker (Pty) True Love; Vroue Keur; Woman and Home;
Ltd; and Kagiso Media. Essentials; Fitness Magazine; Grazia; Kuier;
Marie Claire; Rooi Rose; Sarie; Your Family;
Newspapers Women’s Health, and Longevity.
Most South African newspapers and magazines
are organised into several major publishing Online media
houses. These include Media24 (part of In June 2016, the IAB South Africa, Effective
Naspers, the largest media group in Africa), the Measure statistics revealed the largest websites
Irish-based Independent News & Media (Pty) in the country. News24 is the largest site in the
Ltd group, Caxton Publishers & Printers Ltd country, followed by Gumtree and TimesLive.
and Avusa Ltd. Other important media players According to the Effective Measure statistics,
include M&G Media Ltd; the Natal Witness News24 attracted 5,9 million unique visitors in
Printing & Publishing Company (Pty) Ltd; June 2016. Gumtree was second with 4,4 million
Primedia Publishing Ltd; RamsayMedia, and visitors and TimesLive third with 3,4 million.
Kagiso Media.
Some of the prominent daily and weekly Media organisations and role players
newspapers in South Africa include: The The non-profit-making Print and Digital Media
Sunday Times; Citizen; Sowetan; Daily Sun; South Africa (PDMSA) was originally formed
The Witness; Sunday World; City Press; to bring together under one roof publishers of
New Age; Weekly Mail and Guardian; Beeld, diverse print genres.
Pretoria News; The Star; Die Burger; The Cape The PDMSA recognised the advantages
Argus; Cape Times; Son; Daily Dispatch; The of extending its footprint online by extending
Herald; Daily News; The Mercury; The Witness; its membership to include digital media
Business Day; Volksblad; Diamond Fields publications. By the end of 2015, the PDMSA
Advertiser; Isolezwe; Rapport; Sunday Tribune; membership included more than 700 newspaper
Sunday Sun; Ilanga; The Post, and Soccer and magazine titles that cater for four different
Laduma. language groups.
The members include Times Media Group;
Magazines Caxton and CTP; Independent Newspapers;
Between January and March 2016, there was a Media24; Mail & Guardian, and the Association
8.3% decline in total magazine circulation, more of Independent Publishers (AIP).
than twice that of newspapers, according to the The purpose of the PDMSA is to represent,
Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa. promote, interact with and intervene in all
Consumer titles dropped 4,4%, business titles matters concerning the collective industry and
by 2,7% and custom magazines by 10,6% of common interest. It represents more than 700
Some of the prominent magazines include, newspaper and magazine titles in South Africa.
among others: Financial Mail; Finweek; The PDMSA is a member of a number
Entrepreneur; Forbes Africa; Noseweek; of international bodies, such as the World
BusinessBrief; Leadership; Farmer’s Weekly; Association of Newspapers and the Federation
Landbouweekblad; Plaastoe; Veeplaas; of Periodical Press. Allied to the PDMSA, but not
Personal Finance; People; TV Plus; Bona; a constituent member, is the ABC, responsible
Drum; Huisgenoot; YOU; The Big Issue; for auditing and verifying print-media circulation
Taalgenoot; Leisure; Easy DYI; House & figures.
Leisure; Sarie Kos; Elle; Decoration; SA Home The AIP represents the interests of more than
Owner; SA Garden and Home; Tuis Home; VISI; 250 independent publishers in southern Africa.
Woolworths Taste; Fresh Living/Kook en Kuier; The South African National Editors’ Forum
Braintainment; Destiny Man; Blaque Magazine; (Sanef) was formed at a meeting of the Black
GQ; Men’s Health; Popular Mechanics; Stuff; Editors’ Forum, the Conference of Editors and
Tjop & Dop; Amakhosi; Kick Off; Golf Digest; senior journalism educators and trainers, in
Compleat Golfer; Magnum Game; Hunt/Wild; October 1996.
Jag; SA Hunter; Zigzag; Modern Athlete; CAR; Sanef membership includes editors and senior
Leisure Wheels; TopGear; Drive Out/WegRy; journalists from the print, broadcast and online/
Topcar; Auto Trader; Bike SA; SA 4×4; Speed Internet media, as well as journalism educators
and Sound; Getaway; Weg/Go; SA Country Life; from all the major training institutions in South
Cosmopolitan; Glamour; Elle; Fair Lady; Finesse; Africa.
Destiny Magazine; Good Housekeeping/ The Forum of Black Journalists addresses
Goeie Huishouding; Ideas/Idees; Leef; Move!; issues that directly affect its members.
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