Johannesburg, 13 Feb 2015
In the wake of the call by Namec (the National Association of Manufacturers of Electronic Components) to government to localise the spend of the DTT migration budget for set-top boxes to South African manufacturers, Altech UEC has added its support.
According to Danie du Toit, Managing Director of Altech Multimedia, under which Altech UEC falls, larger manufacturers such as itself need to work together with government and related stakeholders to ensure a smooth digital migration in order to benefit all South Africans and their communities.
"The imminent roll-out of the South African digital migration programme paves the way for the revival of the local electronic manufacturing industry of South Africa, which has suffered immensely due to delays in the past," said Du Toit.
"Altech UEC was a founding corporate member of Namec and we fully support Namec's call for more involvement by local electronic manufacturers in the digital migration programme. We have a strong relationship with local manufacturers and we are ready, willing and able to work with Namec members to ensure that the digital migration programme is beneficial to emerging manufacturers," he added.
"The electronic manufacturing business is highly capital intensive and we will continue to work with emerging manufacturers to assist in skills transfer, assist with capacity requirements and provide kits for assembly in order to support them to develop and grow their capabilities and take part in the digital migration value chain," he said.
According to Adil Nchabeleng, Secretary General of Namec, the finalisation of the digital migration process to support broadband roll-out is the perfect opportunity to galvanise the local manufacturing industry, which in turn has the potential to propel the economy to higher levels of growth, open new opportunities for new industries and modernise the delivery of social and economic services.
"Only with the assistance of government and local world-class manufacturers such as Altech UEC, will emerging manufacturers be able to play their rightful role in the digital migration programme. This support is imperative if we are to make SA's digital migration a reality and grow the local manufacturing industry," said Nchabeleng.
As a world-leading provider of products, professional services and competitive solutions to the digital broadcast and broadband industries, Altech Multimedia is the premier manufacturer of set-top boxes in Africa and has the locally developed technological solutions required to propel the analogue-to-digital transition programme forward.
According to Du Toit, Altech Multimedia's international experience in delivering DTT set-top boxes into the Australian market makes it an ideal partner for local electronic manufacturers.
"Altech Multimedia, through its Altech UEC Australia operation, was intimately involved in the successful implementation of the Australian digital migration programme, and from our experience in that region, we have the expertise and knowledge to assist in a positive South African analogue-to-digital transition," he said.
With over 16 years' experience in supplying leading broadcast service providers, Altech UEC is one of the world's foremost providers of services, systems and software solutions to the broadcast and telecommunications industries. Products are exported throughout Africa, comprising a wide range of satellite and terrestrial models, both STB and PVR, in a range of Conditional Access options, in addition to a DVB over IP solution.
Locally, Altech Multimedia surpassed the "24 million set-top box manufactured" milestone in 2014 and has produced more than five million set-top boxes in the 2014 financial year alone. The company has the capacity and wherewithal to deliver innovative, bespoke solutions for both the public and private sectors, and believes it is well placed to answer Minister Pandor's call for local service providers to address the needs of, and provide solutions for, local technology roll-outs.
With a world-class, 13 500m^2, ISO9001-certified manufacturing facility in Mount Edgecombe, South Africa, which has a set-top box production capacity for 750 000 boxes a month, over 120 research and development engineers globally, and with its local manufacturing capabilities, Altech Multimedia is uniquely positioned with its partners to drive South Africa's digital revolution forward.
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