Deputy Minister for Communications and Digital Technologies Mondli Gungubele said there is no fixed deadline for the analogue television switch-off in South Africa.

The lack of a concrete timeline leaves millions of viewers in limbo and delays the release of valuable radio frequency spectrum that could otherwise support expanded mobile and wireless broadband services.

"There is no fixed deadline for the analogue switch-off," Gungubele said. The statement comes as the government continues to struggle with the transition to digital broadcasting, a process that has faced significant technical and logistical challenges.

According to a spokesperson for the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, the government has missed more than 10 scheduled analogue switch-off dates since the project began [1]. This migration effort has seen delays spanning 15 years [1].

Despite the absence of a national deadline, officials remain active in specific regions to facilitate the transition. In the Merafong municipality, government efforts are focused on direct community outreach. Nothando Magudulela, an economics reporter, said households in Merafong are being taken to the streets to ensure they are migrated to digital broadcast as soon as possible.

The digital migration is intended to replace the aging analogue system with a more efficient digital signal. This shift allows for more channels and higher quality broadcasts, but it requires households to use set-top boxes to receive the new signals.

Government officials have not provided a new target date, citing the complexity of the rollout across diverse geographical areas. The continued delay reflects a long-term struggle to synchronize infrastructure deployment with household readiness.

“"There is no fixed deadline for the analogue switch-off."”

The absence of a firm deadline indicates that the South African government is prioritizing a gradual, localized rollout over a hard national cutoff to avoid leaving citizens without access to information. However, the 15-year delay suggests a systemic failure in project management and infrastructure deployment, which continues to hinder the country's digital dividend and the modernization of its telecommunications landscape.