Lesotho grants Musk Starlink licence despite opposition
Publish date: 21 April 2025
Issue Number: 1122
Diary: IBA Legalbrief Africa
Category: Tenders
Lesotho last week granted a licence to tech billionaire Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service, hours after denying it was fast-tracking the process as part of US tariff concessions, reports Fin24. Starlink operates in at least 20 countries in Africa, including Somalia, which approved its licence on Sunday. Lesotho was hit this month with tariffs of 50% on goods exported to the US – the highest for any single nation on President Donald Trump's now-paused reciprocal tariffs list. The levies were reduced last week to 1% for a 90-day reprieve. The Lesotho Communications Authority said Starlink – owned by Trump's close adviser Musk - made its application in April 2024 and would be issued with a licence valid for 10 years. ‘This landmark decision marks a significant step forward in the country's digital transformation,’ it said in a statement.
The approval came hours after Foreign Minister Lejone Mpotjoane denied media reports that Maseru had offered to expedite the process to get a favourable trade deal under the pressure of the high tariffs. ‘The licence application and the tariff negotiations should not be conflated,’ Mpotjoane said. Lesotho plans to send a delegation to the US to plead its case, fearing more than 12 000 job losses, mostly in its valuable textile industry. The country has already written to Washington over the tariffs through a diplomatic note, the Foreign Ministry said. According to GroundUp, opposing the granting of the licence, co-ordinator for a local organisation, Advocates for the Supremacy of the Constitution, commonly known as Section Two, Kananelo Boloetse warned the government not to prioritise its relationship with the Trump administration at the expense of regional ties. He warned that SA has already rejected Starlink’s licence application over concerns about its foreign ownership. Approving the same licence in Lesotho, he argued, could strain diplomatic relations with Pretoria, especially if the move appears to be driven by attempts to appease Musk and Donald Trump.
