Starlink beams into Zimbabwean market

SpaceX's satellite Internet service, Starlink, has entered the Zimbabwean market, three months after being granted an operating license in the country.

In a post on X, Starlink announced that its high-speed, low-latency Internet was now fully operational in the Southern African country.

Elon Musk's satellite Internet services company will be offered to Zimbabweans through a government-approved local partner, IMC Communications.

Starlink's Zimbabwe tariffs

Zimbabwean consumers can now buy Starlink devices and access its Internet service directly from the Starlink website.

In contrast to other African countries where Starlink provides local currency pricing, customers in Zimbabwe will be billed in US dollars.

According to the Starlink website, it will cost Zimbabweans US$350 for a standard Starlink kit with a monthly subscription of $50, while they will pay $200 for a Starlink Mini kit, with a $30 monthly subscription.

Starlink also offers a 30-day trial with no contracts or data caps and estimates shipping times to be two weeks in the country.

Starlink African inroads

Despite regulatory hurdles, Starlink's entry into Zimbabwe marks another step in its African expansion.

In Zimbabwe, the company's license approval came after Zanu PF's spokesperson's son, Neville Mutsvangwa, was arrested on charges of illegally possessing a Starlink terminal and violating the Postal and Telecommunications Act, in May 2024.

Starlink being live in the country will surely bring relief to citizens as the use of the Internet services was illegal after the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) in January 2024, reportedly announced plans to arrest individuals and businesses found distributing and advertising the devices.

Starlink offers a 30-day trial with no contracts or data caps and estimates shipping times to be two weeks to Zimbabwe. (Source: Starlink's website).

Just last month Starlink launched in Botswana and Ghana, after experiencing entry pitfalls.

In Ghana, the launch came just a week after the country's National Communications Authority (NCA) announced that the company had concluded all its administrative and licensing procedures with the regulator.

It took Elon Musk's company three months to be live in Botswana after it was granted a license.

Its entry into the southern African country was not seamless as Botswana Communications Regulatory Authority (BOCRA) reportedly rejected Starlink's license application back in February 2024.

It took a meeting between Starlink executives and Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi in Dallas, Texas, in early May, to fast-track proceedings.

Zimbabwe joins a list of other African countries to have Starlink services after Botswana and Ghana.

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

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— Matshepo Sehloho, Associate Editor, Connecting Africa