Sithengi is the only occasion on the international film and television calendar where Africa's producers, directors and programme sellers have the opportunity to network with fellow professionals, not only from across the continent, but from around the globe as well. Telkom Media will present a paper on digital content delivery at the Film & TV Market conference. Telkom Media is set to become a major player in the South African pay-TV market following its application to ICASA (Independent Communications Authority of South Africa) for a commercial satellite and cable subscription broadcast licence on 31 August 2006. The first step in this process was the creation of Telkom Media (Pty) Ltd, a private company with a 41.5% Black Economic Empowerment shareholding. Partners in the joint venture are Videovision Entertainment, MSG Afrika Media and WDB Investment Holdings (Pty) Ltd. This shareholding combines a wealth of electronic media expertise. If its licence application is successful, Telkom Media will offer two media-and entertainment services: satellite pay-TV and cable TV (IPTV). Initial offerings in the satellite subscription service will provide subscribers with access to seven locally compiled television channels which will contain a significant amount of local content. A basic bouquet comprising of the following locally compiled subscription television channels will be offered: · An entertainment channel · A 24-hour South African news channel · A movie channel · A sports channel · A music channel · A home shopping channel · An education channel Entry into the bouquet will be priced at a level that is favourable to the majority of South Africans. According to Anant Singh, CEO of Videovision Entertainment, one of Telkom Media’s key aims will be to provide stimulus to the local TV production sector. “We will establish relationships with the independent television production sector to provide an outlet for both established production companies and new talent. In addition, the promotion of new interactive technologies, such as user-generated content, will provide a much-needed stimulus to the local digital media industry,” says Singh. Telkom’s entrance into the pay-TV market opens new opportunities for it in the Information, Communications and Entertainment space and is in line with its strategy to provide converged solutions and satisfy the diverse needs of an increasingly sophisticated customer base. Contact Details: Esther Henderson   Sithengi   +27 21 430 8301   communications@sithengi.co.za  www.sithengi.co.za About Telkom Telkom SA Limited is one of the largest companies registered in the Republic of South Africa and is the largest telecommunications service provider on the African continent based on operating revenue and assets. Telkom offers fixed-line voice and data services, branded as Telkom, and mobile communications services through a 50% shareholding in the joint venture, Vodacom, a company incorporated in the republic of South Africa, Tanzania, Lesotho, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique. Telkom has approximately 4.7 million telephone access lines in service as of March 2006. Telkom is South Africa’s incumbent operator. Telkom had consolidated operating revenue of R47.6 billion ($7.7 billion) for the year ended 31 March 2006. Telkom’s subsidiaries include Telkom Directory Services (Pty) Ltd who provides complete yellow and white pages directory services as well as electronic services, and Swiftnet (Pty) Ltd. Swifnet trades under the name of FastNet Wireless Service and provides synchronous wireless access on Telkom’s X25 network, Saponet-P, to its customers. Telkom strongly believes in Corporate Social Investment and has a dedicated wing, the Telkom Foundation, which focuses in investing and developing previously disadvantaged South African communities.