STAR QUALITY: Africa enters the digital TV program age (Courtesy of StarTimes)

When compared with well-known Chinese household brands such as Huawei and ZTE, StarTimes has kept somewhat of a low profile. Yet, the company has been in operation for over 20 years in China, making it the most influential digital TV technology provider in the country. Currently preparing to expand to the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area in east Beijing, the company's new property will cover a massive 60,000 square meters of office space. But besides its influence at home, StarTimes also operates a variety of integrated services in more than 10 African countries, such as Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Mozambique, providing digital TV and mobile TV.

Pang Xinxing, President of StarTimes Group, comes across as modest and hard-working. However, he seems to break out of his shell as he explains their overseas operations in Africa, the most vital part of the company's development strategy. Pang disagreed with the statement that "Africa is a backward continent."

"In my opinion, it is a continent with breath-taking landscape, stable economy and simple folkway," he said. "And a continent that offers good opportunities to invest."

In recent years, an increasing number of Chinese companies have been eyeing Africa as an ideal place for investment, as China encourages its companies to globalize. China's investment in Africa has been mainly distributed in the service, manufacturing, construction and infrastructure sectors. There has not been much emphasis on the radio and television industries.

"Our vision is to enable every African household to get access to digital TV, afford digital TV, watch good digital TV, and enjoy digital TV," Pang proudly told ChinAfrica.

Already a household name in East Africa, it started its business operations in Rwanda in 2008, and then expanded to Nigeria in 2009. That same year, Tanzania, Burundi and some other countries joined the network. So far, StarTimes' digital television service has over 900,000 subscribers in the continent.