Minister Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams on the Draft White Paper on Audio Visual Content Services submissions

Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams thanks Stakeholders who made submissions on the Draft White Paper on Audio Visual Content Services

Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Stella Ndabeni-Abrahams wishes to thank all stakeholders who took the time to make submissions on the Department’s gazetted the Draft White Paper on Audio Visual Content Services. The department will now move to the next phase and hold hearings with those that have made submissions. The hearings are scheduled for April and May this year.

Last year the Department gazetted the Draft White Paper on Audio Visual Content Services for public comment. The objectives of the Draft White Paper were to solicit inputs from the sector and all affected stakeholders to ensure that it covers all aspects of audio-visual content players, in preparation for the final White Paper.

The draft White Paper, among others, proposes new policy and regulatory changes as well as recommendations intended to reposition the audio-visual sector for future growth, and to promote investment.

The Draft White Paper also provides policy proposals to the questions and the critical issues identified by communications, media, and audio-visual content stakeholders during this process. More importantly, the Paper emphasises the review of the following pertinent elements:

  • Licensing of the Over-The-Top-Service (OTT’s)
  • Competition issues in relation to pay-tv and free-to-air markets    
  • Skills development to accelerate digital transformation within the audio-visual sector


“There is a growing need to level the playing field between traditional broadcasting, on-demand services providers – these includes catch-up TV service, video on-demand services as well as news portals – and video-sharing platforms. It has been quite a journey to get this Draft White Paper to this stage. We are steadily moving towards the implementation stage now,” said Minister Ndabeni-Abrahams.

To date, the department has received more than 40 formal submissions, from a wide range of stakeholders and individuals.  The department is currently analysing all the submissions with the intention of revising the White Paper to incorporate inputs.

Media Enquiries:
Mish Molakeng
Cell: 082 469 3997

Share this page

Similar categories to explore