Since the outbreak of COVID-19 had become known, fake news and misinformation have been rapidly spreading. Besides a few reports here and there, most South Africans are doing their part by staying at home as much as possible during the national lockdown. However, there still exists a need for educating the public on best practices and facts concerning the COVID-19 virus, so StarTimes decided to create a series of videos for that purpose.

Over 30 videos have been released thus far, broadcasted around 300 times on multiple StarSat channels in 6 different languages: English, French, Portuguese, Swahili, Hausa and Chinese. These videos portray common daily activities and how people should act in those situations to minimize the possibility of infections. These recommendations adhere to WHO standards, ensuring that all advice given is accurate and effective. Every one of these videos has been made by African staff working offshore.

“Although we are overseas now, we are always concerned about our family, our compatriots and our motherland. Therefore, to help our people through the TV to better understand the COVID-19 virus and to optimize self-protection, we have recorded, produced and broadcast the themed videos,” says Brice, a Burundian actor who features in most of these videos.

Besides being broadcast on multiple TV channels, StarTimes has made these videos available across multiple social media platforms including Facebook and Twitter, and on its own streaming app StarTimes ON, completely free of charge.

In addition, their self-produced TV show StarTimes Daily – COVID-19 Report keeps people up to date with the latest developments regarding the virus. By distributing official information as far and wide as possible, StarTimes is doing its part in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

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StarSat

A subsidiary of StarTimes, Africa’s leading TV broadcaster, StarSat is a digital satellite television provider operating in South Africa.

Acquiring TopTV in 2013, StarSat has been supplying South Africans with quality digital paid TV for over 10 years.

Their channels are world-class and offer a variety of content that will satisfy the whole family. From series and movies to kid’s shows, news and documentaries, StarSat has enough variety to keep you entertained.

 StarTimes

StarTimes is the leading digital TV operator in Africa, serving 13 million DVB subscribers and 20 million OTT users with a signal covering the whole continent and a massive distribution network of 170+ brand halls and 30,000+ distributors in 37 countries. StarTimes owns a featured content platform, with 600 authorized channels consisting of news, movies, series, sports, entertainment, children’s programs, etc. The company’s vision is “To ensure that every African family can access, afford, watch and share the beauty of digital TV”.