Still around three million South Africans do not have free-to-air access to any SABC television and radio services. Together with Sentech, the national signal distributor, and the Department of Communications, the SABC has embarked on a project to increase the coverage of its services by installing 300 new low-power transmitter sites across South Africa over a three year period - 100 per annum. This provides access to terrestrial television and radio services to the present underserved, mostly rural areas of South Africa.
The South African public funds the infrastructures of these low-power transmitters through the payment of television licence fees. Kaizer Kganyago, SABC spokesperson said, "Making a real difference to the lives of all South Africans is what the corporation is committed to delivering in terms of its public broadcasting mandate.
"Funding this obligation is no easy task and the proactive collection of television licence fees countrywide goes a long way towards providing broadcasting services to the millions of South Africans who tune in to radio or television services on a daily basis.
"In line with its mandate of providing universal access, the SABC will continue with the rollout of similar transmitters where there is no accessibility to broadcasting services throughout the country."
