In a bid to speed up the digital migration process and create employment, the Department of Communications (DOC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Public Works for the training of set-top box (STB) installers nationally.
This was revealed by communications minister Faith Muthambi, speaking during her digital migration public awareness campaign at Mtititi village in Limpopo on Saturday.
SA's digital migration has been progressing at a snail's pace after the country missed the June 2015 deadline set by the International Telecommunication Union for countries to switch from analogue to digital TV.
After missing this cut-off date, the DOC, which is in charge of running the project, kicked off the migration process by prioritising border-lying regions like the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) area in the Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, Free State and North West.
Over 3 700 households in core towns of the SKA radio telescope project in the Northern Cape have migrated to digital broadcasting.
Government's policy position is to supply five million subsidised STBs to poor TV household owners where registration and installations have been completed. The minister said since her Imbizo at Mphambo village in July, registrations of STBs rose from 200 to 400 within a week.
The minister said a meeting between the Digital Migration Project Management Office and senior representatives of the Department of Public Works to iron out implementation details of the MOU was held last week.
She said both parties have committed to ensure the exchange of material information in order for the Department of Public Works to secure the requisite funding and begin with the training roll-out.
Muthambi said the training will follow the STB deployment pattern in order to maintain the momentum.
"It is anticipated that on completion, approximately 2 800 new installers would have been equipped with the skills nationwide. [This] will be possible using our real and fair plan that is aimed at offering chance to all South Africans to succeed," she said.
The minister said the total registration of STBs across the four provinces, namely Northern Cape, Free State, Mpumalanga and Limpopo, to date has reached 31 548.
"We've heard young South Africans complaining they can't find work; now we want them to know that as government, we have the nine-point plan focusing on making a real, positive difference in the lives of our people. This training of set-top-boxes installers is aimed at providing young people with skills and employment opportunities," Muthambi said.
"It cannot be business as usual when the youth of this country continue to constitute high volumes of the unemployed. As the department, we are saying that local youth must benefit from this project. To those who are still struggling to make ends meet, we are saying don't despair, we've a clear, solid plan that will create jobs... grow the economy, and put more money into your pockets, that's how we want to move South Africa forward with the nine-point plan," she said.
The STB registration requirements include a South African ID, proof of residence, proof of possessing a TV set and proof of household income below R3 200 per month.
"We also encourage those who are knowledgeable about these procedures to help the needy better understand the processes. It is our wish that all residents should have registered by December 2016 so they are not left behind when the mass distribution of the STB commences," she said.
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