Wed, 16 Aug 2017 08:38:04 +0000
By MUKOSELA KASALWE
TOPSTAR has set a record in Africa’s digital migration process by achieving decoder sales of 50,000 units in a day, says company chief executive officer Leo Liao.
Last week, TopStar, announced a drop in the price of decoder kits from K199 to K99 and thousands of potential customers queued at TopStar outlets to buy decoders.
Mr Liao said Zambia had set a record in Africa by seeing such a great demand for the decoder as proof that TV digital migration had arrived in the country.
Mr Liao said several measures had been put in place to ensure that more dealers and sales outlets such as Radian Stores, Sounds and Pick N Pay had enough stock to meet the demand and added that the price of K99 would be maintained for the rest of the year.
TopStar public relations manager Mwazi Chanda, yesterday said the favourable response was in response to the launch of the Yafika campaign.
“Zambia has beaten an Africa record by seeing such a great demand for the decoder – proving that TV digital migration has really arrived in Zambia,” Mr Liao said.
Mr Liao said urged clients to take advantage of the reduced price as the action was aimed at ensuring all households owned a decoder kit in time for the analogue switch off scheduled for October 1, 2017 as announced by the Minister of Information and Broadcasting Services for towns along the line of rail.
Ms Chanda said outlets in Lusaka, Kitwe and Ndola had been characterised by scores of clients making purchases of the digital migration set top boxes at the discounted rate from early morning to beyond the trading hours and over the weekend which saw peak sales of 50,000 units.
Ms Chanda assured the public that there was sufficient stock of the decoder kits and the price of K99 was not a promotional but a subsidised fee for the purchase of the set top box.
Mr Liao said Phase 1 of the TV digital migration had seen towns along the line of rail from Chililabombwe to Kalomo being connected to digital TV transmission.
He said construction works were underway in other provinces of Zambia to ensure that all parts of Zambia had access to digital TV signal and that during Phase 2 and 3 of digital migration over 72 transmission sites will be erected.
TopStar is a joint venture between the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation and StarTimes of China – that has previously rolled out digital TV migration in Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria and Uganda.
