StarTimes passes 2.5 million subscribers in Africa

StarTimes says its subscribers in Africa hit 2.5 million early in June. The Chinese media company now has its sights set on its next big target: sub-Saharan Africa and in particular South Africa.

StarTimes secured a “backdoor” entrance into the South African market through the TopTV “takeover” in a country where pay-TV licences has been scarce and where most consortiums who’ve been issued licences have failed the past few years to start actual commercial pay-TV services.

StarTimes first entered Africa in 2002 and got its first TV broadcasting licence in 2007 in Rwanda. StarTimes has since grown its African footprint and is has licences and registered companies in 10 African nations. StarTimes is doing business in Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Kenya and soon also in South Africa.

Pang Xinxing, chairman of the Beijing-based StarTimes now says their goal is “to provide every African family with affordable and enjoyable digital television”.

Pang Xinxing, says technology and financing projects are critically needed in African countries to help with the popularisation of satellite television projects. He said StarTimes is injecting “hefty capital” to secure “richer content” for pay-TV subscribers in Africa.