After much debate, Elon Musk's satellite internet Starlink may finally be coming to South Africa. A government gazette issued on Friday has proposed a policy in which Broad-Based Black Economic ...

Starlink’s potential entry could also disrupt local telecommunications competition. In February 2025, Icasa held public hearings on a proposed new satellite licensing framework and received over 50 ...

Starlink argued that its global policy does not allow for dilution of ownership, and that the 30% local shareholding requirement hinders foreign investment in South Africa. As an alternative ...

Vestact Asset Management director Byron Lotter says he has no doubt that Vodacom and MTN are lobbying hard to prevent Starlink’s entry into South Africa — and for good reason.

When contacted for comment on the potential implications of Starlink’s entry into South Africa, ICT Sector Charter Council Minki Thulo indicated that the agency would respond later in the week.

South African authorities say Starlink hasn’t formally applied. Malatsi said the regulations would allow for more than one new operator to enter the market, boosting competition.

While initially a telecommunications issue, the licensing of Starlink has become politicized thanks to Musk’s increasingly right-wing and anti-South African rhetoric.

Paratus is reportedly one of Starlink’s pan-African distribution partners, while a Starlink router’s application was handled by Data X Lab. Important ground station ‘gateways’ were in the name of ...

SpaceX’s Starlink satellite broadband service is active in South Africa despite not having been granted an operating licence. A licence is a considerable challenge for Starlink given that the company ...

South Africa has denied accusations that a draft policy watering down Black ownership requirements for tech firms was proposed to benefit the Starlink business of white South African-born ...

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa’s minister of communications on Tuesday denied accusations that a draft policy watering down Black ownership requirements for tech firms was not proposed to ...