Mnangagwa associate secures Starlink contract

Zimbabwe has become the eighth African country to license Elon Musk's Starlink to provide satellite internet services, in a deal involving one of President Emmerson Mnangagwa's associates. News24 reports that Mnangagwa has confirmed that Starlink would partner with a local company, IMC Communications (Pvt) Ltd. The company is owned by Wicknell Chivayo, who is regularly seen in the President's company. Mnangagwa said emerging technology was ‘one of the strategic pillars’ of his government. However, Starlink will only be accessible through Chivayo's company which received the licencing rights from the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe. Economist Stevenson Dlamini said while the arrival of Starlink in Zimbabwe was welcome in that it would reduce the high cost of data and internet speed, it might be expensive to set up. Rwanda, Benin, Nigeria, Kenya, Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi are the only other African countries to allow Starlink.