The Department of Communications says provincial governments have responded positively to the proposed dates to make the shift from analog to digital broadcasting.
On Friday, Minister Nomvula Mokonyane announced that the Free State will make the switch on 31 December this year.
The North West and Northern Cape are expected to switch in March next year.
Earlier this month, Mokonyane announced a revised model between broadcasters and the private sector which will save the country billions of rands.
Department’s spokesperson Mlimandlela Ndamase says: “The minister will be going out to engage various stakeholders including provincial government and municipalities. But ultimately, this is a national project and all government sectors are expected to be in support and on board.”
Meanwhile, the government abandoned its plans to buy millions of set-top boxes as part of the migration from analogue to digital television after spending about R10 billion on the project.
The U-turn was announced by Mokonyane on Thursday.
Mokonyane said Cabinet on Wednesday approved a different approach to implementing the long-delayed broadcast digital migration project, opting for one that involves partnerships with the private sector and telecommunications industry.
The plan was shot down as costly and unfeasible when it was first mooted years ago and has now been ditched. The government will no longer buy, store, transport or install set-up boxes.
Mokonyane says the new approach will save money on a project that has already cost R10 billion and would have cost a lot more.
“Initially, the estimate was that we’ll need an additional R7 billion, but with the revised model we’ll not even go above R2 billion.”
Mokonyane said set-top boxes being kept in warehouses will, however, still be distributed to poor households in the Northern Cape, North West and areas bordering South Africa’s neighbours.
She said the government believed the number of people needing them is far less than initially planned for but said poor people will still not have to pay.
Government has over 300,000 set-top boxes which were bought during the initial plan.
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