Free set-top boxes for digital migration

QUALIFYING households with an income of R3 500 or less a month are urged to visit their nearest post office as soon as possible to apply for a free government-subsidised decoder, also called a set-top box.

Qualifying households do not have to pay for the set-top box, post office spokesperson Johan Kruger said.

During this year’s State of the Nation address, President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the government should complete the migration to digital broadcast by March next year.

The analogue TV signal will then be switched off and only digital TV transmissions will be broadcast.

Analogue TV sets will then only work if they are connected to a decoder.

Kruger said qualifying households that applied before November would receive a decoder before the analogue TV signal was switched off.

Those who apply after this time would only receive a decoder later.

All households with an income of R3 500 a month or less and a working TV set qualify for a government subsidised set-top box.

Kruger said qualifying beneficiaries must visit their nearest post office as soon as possible with an ID, proof of address and an affidavit to confirm that the family has a working TV set.

They must also bring a bank statement or affidavit to confirm the family income is R3 500 a month or less.

“If you receive a social grant, you do not need to bring proof of income. Proof that you receive a grant is enough,” Kruger said.

He assured that post office branches had standard affidavits that the applicants could use to declare their income, to confirm that they own a working TV set and their residential address.

“You do not need to visit a police station to do an official affidavit before you go to the post office.”

Kruger said once an application was approved, the information would be given to Sentech – the signal distributor for the broadcasting sector – to appoint a local installer to install the set-top box.

“Installations are done per province and appointment of local installers is done by Sentech via local municipalities. There is no need to re-register to make sure you receive a set-top box.”