Categories: Technology

Elon Musk’s Starlink in negotiations for South African launch

Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink, is in talks with the South African government to launch its operations in the country, President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed. These discussions are part of broader plans for potential investments by Musk, the world’s richest man, in South Africa.

Musk, who was born in South Africa, and Ramaphosa have already spoken about the satellite service’s entry into Africa’s largest economy. “I’ve had discussions with him, and I’ve said, ‘Elon, you’ve been incredibly successful and are investing in various countries. It’s time to come home and invest here,’” Ramaphosa said.

Starlink, owned by Musk’s SpaceX, provides high-speed broadband internet via a network of approximately 5,500 satellites deployed since 2019. It currently serves 2.6 million users worldwide. While the service is already available in 16 African countries, including Zimbabwe, it remains unavailable in South Africa due to regulatory hurdles. Responding to a post on X , Musk mentioned that Starlink is “waiting for regulatory approval” to operate in South Africa.

One potential challenge is South Africa’s requirement for companies to have a level of black ownership to address disparities from apartheid. Whether Starlink can meet these requirements or negotiate alternative arrangements remains to be seen.

Starlink has faced similar challenges in other major economies like Taiwan, where local ownership rules have delayed its launch. However, the service’s global expansion continues, with high-profile partnerships like United Airlines, which recently signed a deal to use Starlink for inflight Wi-Fi.

Josephine Mumbua

Recent Posts

Airtel Uganda and K2 Telecom forge ahead with renewed partnership

Airtel Uganda and K2 Telecom have solidified their long-standing relationship by renewing their transformative partnership.…

2 days ago

Airtel Rwanda’s Voice Over 4G service surpasses one million subscribers

Airtel Rwanda’s groundbreaking Voice Over 4G (VoLTE) service has achieved a significant milestone, attracting over…

2 days ago

Nigeria’s Bureau of Statistics suffers cyberattack

Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has fallen victim to a cyberattack, disrupting operations and…

2 days ago

ChatGPT now accessible via WhatsApp and phone calls

OpenAI has expanded the reach of its widely popular AI chatbot, ChatGPT, by launching it…

2 days ago

Open AI unveils ChatGPT Pro

OpenAI has launched ChatGPT Pro, a $200/month subscription plan designed to cater to professionals in…

2 days ago

KIXP and iXAfrica partner to boost East Africa’s digital connectivity with new Point of Presence

Kenya Internet Exchange Point (KIXP) has inaugurated a new Point of Presence (PoP) at iXAfrica…

3 days ago