While most of the western world was rapidly embracing television broadcasting by the 1940s and especially the 1950s, the Republic of South Africa did not launch a television service until ... 1976! The main reason, essentially, was racism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bLdxlShwc8
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@ai6yr One of the prominent government officials blocking it had said TV would come to SA over his dead body and that it would be the end of the white man. Yes, that's what he reportedly publicly said.
@ai6yr Yep! 5 Jan 1976. By that time, the launch was in color, given how late it was, even though that meant more expensive sets from day one.
Interesting fact: After many years of suppressing TV in South Africa, the government's hand began to be pushed by public outrage over missing coverage of the first moon landing in 1969.
