Altech in R50 million set-top box push
Allied Technology (Altech) UEC says it has invested R50 million into the expansion of its manufacturing facility in Durban to meet the continuing demand for terrestrial set-top boxes, satellite decoders and smart TVs.
Altech, which claims to be the largest developer and manufacturer of set-top boxes in Africa, delisted from the JSE on Tuesday (20 August), after Allied Electronics (Altron) completed its 100% acquisition of the group.
On 16 August 2013, Altron shareholders approved the acquisition of 34,32 million Altech shares with a total cash value of R1.63 billion.
According to Rajesh Ramkawal, manufacturing executive at Altech UEC, the upgrade investment has created an additional 120 specialised and sustainable jobs at the manufacturing facility in Durban.
The group said its Panasonic Next Production Modular (NPM) pick-and-place installation is the largest in the southern hemisphere. Its advanced process intelligence systems allows for zero board transfer time, smart feeder monitoring and a 400, 000 component placement per hour capability.
“This investment is one example of our commitment to creating employment as part of the digital migration process and government’s overall job creation targets,” Ramkawal said.
“This investment provides us with the capability to manufacture six million set-top boxes per annum and ensures that Altech UEC is well placed to meet current and future demand for set-top boxes and smart TVs,” Ramkawal said.
South Africa is in the process of switching over from analogue to digital terrestrial television (DTT) broadcasting.
An STB is a decoder-like box that will allow TV viewers to use their existing analogue TV sets to receive the new DVB-T2 digital TV signal. This is set to replace South Africa’s aging analogue terrestrial broadcasting standard.
Government has delayed the tender process regarding the manufacture an distribution of STBs.
A host of companies – including Ellies, and Altech – are vying to be a major player in the manufacture and distribution of the decoders.
It is believed that as many as 11 million households would need a decoder in order to keep up with the new digital viewing standard.
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