South Africa

Last update: 05.08.2022 - older versions

South African government directive to licence for digital radio

On 10 July 2020 South Africa's Minister of Communications, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, issued the policy directive to the regulator ICASA allowing for the licensing of Digital Sound Broadcasting.  

In November 2020, South Africa regulator ICASA launched a consultation on draft regulation for licensing digital radio. The objectives of the draft regulation are to set out the framework for the introduction of DSB (digital sound broadcasting) services and prescribe the procedure for an Applicant seeking to provide DSB services.

The proposal is to consider Applicants without existing sound broadcasting licences two years after the effective date of the Regulations.

New framework for the licencing of digital radio – April 2021

In April 2021, the South African regulator published the new framework for the licencing of digital radio. According to the new regulation, the introduction of digital radio services (locally referred to as “digital sound broadcasting services regulations”) for new applicants will be in a phased approach: phase one will be in the primary markets and phase two will be in the secondary markets. Existing sound broadcasting service licensees may simulcast their existing sound broadcasting programme(s) on analogue and digital platforms. The regulator, which will launch a call for tenders to determine spectrum allocation, will also consider applicants without existing broadcasting licences.

Johannesburg / Pretoria trial renewed

The National Association of Broadcasters (the NAB) and Southern African Digital Broadcasting Association (SADIBA) are currently engaged in a DAB+ trial in the Gauteng province (Johannesburg and Pretoria) and a new greenfield DAB+ trial for Cape Town. 

In January 2019, it was announced that the Johannesburg / Pretoria South African DAB+ trial had been granted a new license. The license, renewed as of 30 January 2019, is valid for a period of eight months, with the possibility of a six-month extension. 

 

 

Last update: 18.08.2015 - older versions

The DAB+ trial covers the Province of Gauteng. Please see terrestrial coverage map here.

Last update: 05.08.2022 - older versions

In this country there is

on air.

Please note:

(a)    These web pages are updated regularly to reflect current services on air, however they may not be exactly up to date.

(b)    The logos shown on these pages are for illustrative purposes only – manufacturers and broadcasters are directed here for information on implementing station logos.

A new DAB+ trial has been on air since1 June 2022 with a new 8-month trial licence renewable for 6 months. It is currently broadcasting 19 DAB+ services and some more will be added soon. The system is based on a cloud-based mux and covers the Gauteng province with 2X  10kW transmitters operating in a SFN. As part of the trial, they have some radio services based in Cape Town and Durban participating this time. It’s a mix of commercial, public and community services.

Simulcast on AM / FM Exclusive on digital Total of services
DAB+ programmes 19 1 20

Last update: 28.06.2018 - older versions

The Joint SADIBA/NAB Digital Radio DAB+ trial Working Group is currently meeting on a regular basis with members from the automobile manufactures to encourage their participation by providing a number of vehicles fitted with OEM DAB+ receivers.  BMW South Africa has participated extensively in the Trial.

Many new imported automobiles imported into South Africa have DAB+ receivers fitted (Lexus, Toyota, Ford). Ford SA activates all DAB+ receivers in automobiles sold in South Africa.

Last update: 28.06.2018 - older versions

As South Africa is currently in trial status, DAB+ receivers are not officially currently available in the market place although some models have found their way into retail stores

Last update: 08.11.2019 - older versions

Johannesburg / Pretoria trial renewed

On the 29th  January 2019 the South African Broadcast Regulator ICASA granted a new eight month DAB+ trial licence which will provide coverage in Johannesburg/Pretoria Gauteng Province.  20 radio services drawn from the PBS, Commercial and Community Radio sectors will participate in the trial. On air date is planned mid-March 2019.

Phase 1 of the initial trial license period focused on network verification processes and this has now been completed. The 2nd phase which focused on audio and data testing has been completed. The new license phase focuses on closed listener group tests and further audio processing and data testing. The public broadcaster the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) applied for this new trial license on behalf of all the other radio broadcasters. South Africa is the first country in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) to carry out DAB+ trials.

The trial consists of two high power transmitting stations (10kw transmitter power) 100kw ERP situated in Johannesburg and Pretoria in the province of Gauteng. The trial operates as a SFN in VHF band III on Channel 13F on a frequency of 239.200MHz. Coverage verification at transmitter powers of 2kw, 5kw, and 10kw has been concluded. Extensive testing of vertical polarisation versus horizontal is currently underway.  The total area covered by the trial is 21185 km2 and the total gross population covered is 10 705 387 (21.5% of total SA population).

Cape Town trial

In November 2019, a DAB+ Trial Licence for Cape Town South Africa was been granted to Sentech SOC by the regulator ICASA. This site has existing Band III VHF infrastructure and a frequency has become available with the closing of one of the analogue TV services. 

 

 

Last update: 18.11.2020 - older versions

Regulation

On 10 July 2020 South Africa's Minister of Communications, Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams, issued the policy directive to the regulator ICASA allowing for the licensing of Digital Sound Broadcasting.  

In November 2020, South Africa regulator ICASA launched a consultation on draft regulation for licensing digital radio. The objectives of the draft regulation are to set out the framework for the introduction of DSB (digital sound broadcasting) services and prescribe the procedure for an Applicant seeking to provide DSB services.

The proposal is to consider Applicants without existing sound broadcasting licences two years after the effective date of the Regulations.

The closing date for comments on the draft is 29 December 2020. 

Process

The regulator ICASA published in April 2019 the findings of its inquiry into the deployment of digital radio in South Africa, stating that spectrum scarcity and high transmission costs necessitate the consideration of digital radio. ICASA's draft regulation on implementation is anticipated during the current financial year (2019/20), following the government policy directive issued on 10 July 2020 to allow for the licensing of Digital Sound Broadcasting.

In 2018, the Digital Sound Broadcasting (DSB) Council Committee was formed, the purpose of which is to make progress towards expanding regulatory scope for digital sound broadcasting technologies, and accommodating additional sound broadcasters in conventional and other frequency bands.  As part of the enquiry the DSB committee conducted international study visits to Australia, Germany, Norway, USA and United Kingdom.

DAB+ was officially adopted as a South African standard by the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) in 2005.

 

Last update: 13.04.2018 - older versions

Emergency Warning Systems form part of the DAB+ trial parameters.

Mobile TV to expand trials
14.08.2013 - South Africa South Africa
Prospective broadcaster Mobile TV will expand its trial network using Korea’s digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) technology, to the Western Cape and the Free State, founder Mothobi Mutloatse said on Wednesday. Mobile TV has already run a trial using DMB — which offers radio and video broadcasting services along with interactive “datacasting” — in Gauteng. It switched on test signals in the province in December 2010.

(TechCentral) Read more


Mobile TV makes case for DMB
30.07.2013 - South Africa South Africa
Mobile TV believes there is market demand for digital television and radio programming based on the Korean digital multimedia broadcasting standard it wants to launch in South Africa.

(TechCentral) Read more


Digital radio trials in SA: report
24.07.2013 - South Africa South Africa
South African radio broadcasters are set to start trialling digital radio channels using the DAB standard, the Sunday Times reported. The Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) standard has been in use since the 1990s, and its successor, DAB+, was introduced in 2007.

(MyBroadband) Read more


Digital radio to hit SA's airwaves
24.07.2013 - South Africa South Africa
DAB has been introduced in a number of countries around the world as a complement — at least for now — to the analogue FM and AM bands. Some countries, like Norway — which was the first country to launch a commercial DAB radio station — plan to switch off analogue radio broadcasts altogether..

(TechCentral) Read more


Digital radio trials to hit the airwaves
21.07.2013 - South Africa South Africa
Ideally, broadcasters should use the trial to begin marketing digital radio to consumers ahead of a commercial launch. However, because television broadcasters are still likely to be using the spectrum that has been set aside for commercial DAB radio when the trial ends, they cannot begin to market the technology. However, enthusiasts keen to check out digital radio during the trial period will still be able to buy DAB+ receivers and tune in.

(BDlive) Read more


SA to trial digital radio: report
21.07.2013 - South Africa South Africa
The Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) standard has been in use since the 1990s, and its successor, DAB , was introduced in 2007. The formats are digital successors to the AM and FM standards. Industry players (including ICASA) have been in discussions on how the formats were introduced in other markets and how best to approach its introduction here, the report said.

(BusinessTech) Read more


South African broadcasters call for green light to launch DAB+ trial
18.07.2013 - WorldDAB News - South Africa South Africa
Over 200 radio industry representatives came together at the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s (SABC) facility in Johannesburg to attend a landmark workshop on the rollout of DAB+ digital radio and to discuss plans for a high-powered DAB+ trial transmission extending from Pretoria to Johannesburg by end 2013.

Read more


What minister Carrim needs to do
15.07.2013 - South Africa South Africa
Marian Shinn, DA MP and spokesman on communications, urges newly appointed communications minister Yunus Carrim to pursue the transition to digital terrestrial broadcasting... This will help bridge the digital divide ... as well as provide high-quality radio and television broadcasts across South Africa.

(TechCentral) Read more


DAB+ Workshop in South Africa
09.07.2013 - South Africa South Africa
WorldDMB has joined with South African Broadcasting Corporation, the National Association of Broadcasters and the Southern African Digital Broadcasting Association to host a DAB+ Digital Radio workshop.The organizations say the event is a response to the announcement that the country will add 18 slots for DAB+ and will be geared to both public and private broadcasters. It will be held July 16 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the SABC M1 Studio in Johannesburg.

(Radio World) Read more


South Africa Carves Out Room for DAB
07.06.2013 - South Africa South Africa
In South Africa, the Independent Communications Authority has released a draft of its Terrestrial Broadcasting Frequency Plan 2013. In this document’s Annexure D “DAB Frequency Allotments,” the regulatory authority lays out plans to make room in the broadcast spectrum for digital audio broadcasting (DAB).

(Radio World) Read more


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Key Information

Status: trial and/or regulation
Population: 53.0 million
Population coverage: Sparkline Graph 21.5%
Services: 20 DAB+
Last update: 28.06.2018

Useful Links

Telecommunications & Postal Services Republic of South Africa Policy Review Reports 2015
SADIBA - Southern African Digital Broadcasting Association
Sentech - State-owned network operator in South Africa
Telecommunications & Postal Services Republic of South Africe
Independent Communications Authority of South Africa - Regulator
The National Association of Broadcasters of South Africa