StarTimes is setting up digital TV across the African continent, promoting China's image in the process.
A mural in Rwanda commemorating the "Access to Satellite TV for 10,000 African Villages" China–Africa cooperation project. Credit: Taarifa Rwanda
Visitors to the Mozambique town of Marracuene in southeastern Africa will notice two logos on the satellite dishes attached to local buildings: the first reads ‘StarTimes’, the second ‘China Aid’. A mural is normally visible showing the flags of China and Mozambique too.
Similar murals next to the same satellite systems can these days be seen across Africa, all set up for free to provide affordable TV services to local communities. The company at the heart of this digitization drive — StarTimes — is little known back home in China, yet it has become one of the most prominent television companies on the African continent.
This week, The Wire looks at StarTimes’ role in promoting China’s image in Africa, the support it receives from the Chinese state, and just how deep it has delved into some of the world’s least developed countries.
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