South Africa's president holds talks with Starlink

Citizens in South Africa, one of Africa's most developed economies, could soon have SpaceX's satellite Internet service, Starlink.

The country's President Cyril Ramaphosa told reporters late last week that he had met with Starlink's founder, Elon Musk, and held talks over potential investments.

"I have had discussions with him and have said, Elon, you've become so successful and you're investing in a variety of countries, I want you to come home and invest here. He and I are going to have a further discussion," Ramaphosa told reporters.

The South African government has come under fire in recent years for its alleged refusal to grant Musk's company a license to operate. The country is perceived as lagging in the adoption of connectivity supported by low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites while other African countries have done so.

Just last week, the country's neighbor Zimbabwe launched Starlink services, three months after it was granted a license.

Starlink & South Africa's contentious relationship

South African born Musk's company has had a contentious relationship with the South African government in the past; however, it now seems like the relationship is changing. Last month, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) initiated consultations on a proposed new licensing framework for satellite services and launched an inquiry to establish a regulatory and licensing framework for these services in the country. It's an about-turn after ICASA's November 2023 warning that importing and selling Starlink terminals in South Africa was considered illegal and fines could be imposed on companies doing so.

Back in April 2023, former SA Minister of Communications and Digital Technologies Mondli Gungubele denied claims that the government was blocking the operation of Starlink.

South Africa has come under fire in recent times for its perceived lack of interest in granting Starlink an operating license, but that could soon change.(Source: Starlink's website)

One roadblock for an international company like Starlink is that South Africa requires all Electronic Communications Network Service (ECNS) and Electronic Communications Service (ECS) licensees to have at least 30% ownership by historically disadvantaged groups.

For Starlink to operate in South Africa it would need one of these licenses.

It will be interesting to see how Musk's high-speed Internet services will compete in the country's fiber and broadband market led by companies like Openserve, Vumatel, Afrihost, MWeb, MTN, Telkom and Vodacom.

Starlink's African expansion

Despite facing regulatory challenges, Starlink has made entry in several African countries in recent times.

In August 2024, the company launched its services in Botswana and Ghana, after experiencing entry pitfalls. In Ghana, Starlink's services, were launched just a week after the National Communications Authority (NCA) announced that the company had finalized all its administrative and licensing procedures with the regulator.

It took a meeting between Starlink executives and Botswana's President Mokgweetsi Masisi in early May 2024, to fast-track licensing proceedings in that country.

Starlink is also active in Benin, Nigeria, Rwanda, Malawi, Mozambique as well as Zambia, Kenya, Madagascar, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Eswatini.

*Top image is of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. (Source: GovernmentZA's GCIS via Flickr.)

— Matshepo Sehloho, Associate Editor, Connecting Africa