Few events demonstrate the evolution of television quite like the Fifa World Cup 2026. Over the past month billions of fans around the world followed the tournament on TVs, smartphones, tablets and laptops, watching matches wherever they were, often moving seamlessly between screens.As South Africa marks 50 years of television broadcasting, the tournament serves as a timely reminder of how dramatically the viewing experience has evolved.South Africa’s television landscape has changed dramatically from the monochrome broadcasts of 1976 to today’s hyper-connected digital era. What began half a century ago as a single, tightly controlled state channel has blossomed into a vibrant, multiplatform media universe. Today, South Africans are just as likely to stream live sport on mobile devices as they are to watch from the living room, with platforms such as DStv Stream, SABC Plus and SportyTV giving audiences the flexibility to follow every moment of major events wherever they are. Supported by widespread mobile connectivity and tailored data offerings, viewers are no longer tied to a single screen. This shift from appointment viewing to on-the-go streaming perfectly captures five decades of technological progress and changing viewer habits in South Africa.This transformation has been driven by advances in connectivity, cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI). Together, these technologies have redefined how content is created, distributed and experienced.Cloud technology became the invisible infrastructure underpinning much of this transformation. Streaming at scale, on-demand content libraries, live digital broadcasts, personalised recommendations and the ability to access content from almost anywhere depend on vast cloud infrastructure operating behind the scenes. The modern media economy is increasingly powered by platforms capable of storing, processing and distributing enormous volumes of content in real time.AI is now introducing another layer of change. For decades, content discovery depended largely on schedules, programming decisions and channel selection. Algorithms now shape recommendations, surface content, personalise experiences and connect audiences with material aligned to their interests. AI is also beginning to influence how content is created, translated, edited and distributed. Tasks that once required specialist skills, significant resources and lengthy production cycles are becoming accessible to a broader range of creators and businesses.AI is now introducing another layer of change. For decades, content discovery depended largely on schedules, programming decisions and channel selection. Algorithms now shape recommendations, surface content, personalise experiences and connect audiences with material aligned to their interests. The result is an industry where participation sits alongside reach as a source of value. The media has often served as an early indicator of broader economic change. The technologies that transform communication frequently reshape industries, business models and markets. Television created industries around audiences. Digital platforms created industries around participation. AI is creating industries around capability.For Africa this evolution arrives at a pivotal moment. The continent is home to the world’s youngest population and one of its fastest-growing digital economies. Mobile connectivity has expanded access to information, commerce and entertainment at a remarkable speed. A generation of entrepreneurs, developers, creators and small businesses is emerging within ecosystems that barely existed two decades ago.The opportunity extends beyond consuming content. It lies in creating it, distributing it, monetising it and building entirely new businesses around it. This is where connectivity, cloud infrastructure and AI become particularly significant. Together they provide the foundations for participation in the digital economy. They enable startups to reach global markets, creators to build audiences beyond national borders and businesses to access capabilities that were once available only to large organisations.Fifty years after television arrived in South Africa, the industry’s evolution offers a useful lesson. Technologies rarely derive their greatest value from the devices themselves. Their true significance lies in the markets they create, the industries they enable and the opportunities they unlock.• Govender is a former TV news broadcaster and current senior PR manager: media and communications at ICT company Huawei South Africa.