StarTimes Group has announced it plans to expand its digital television signal in Africa this year. According to report, the government of China is funding the digital migration projects through loans in most of the African countries where StarTimes operates.
Specifically, StarTimes is rolling out digital migration projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Nigeria, Zambia and Zimbabwe, using funds made available by the Chinese government.
It is rolling out set top boxes in Zambia and has entered into a digital migration focused joint venture with the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC). The USD 273 million has been made available for digital migration projects and the construction of studios in the Southern African country. Zambia will repay its loan in twenty five years through digital television company TopStar, 60 percent of which is owned by StarTimes and 40 percent is owned by ZNBC.
According to the deal, TopStar will collect all ZNBC advertising and tower rental revenue for the duration of the loan agreement. StarTimes is also in Zimbabwe using the brand name StarSat. Zambia’s Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services Kampamba Mulenga said with the financial backing from China, the country is on target to beat the 2020 digital migration deadline set by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). TopStar decoders retail at ZMK200 and the company is yet to confirm a subscription fee. In other countries, subscribers are paying USD 10 per month.
Nice one. I’ve been long waiting for a strong competitor for Dstv.