Ramaphosa pursuing Starlink talks with Musk

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent comments that he is doing everything possible to get Elon Musk’s satellite service, Starlink, to South Africa are an indication that the government is working on a way to fast track regulatory approval for the service locally, reports Business Day. The government has come under pressure in recent months to license Musk’s service. The country is seen as being behind the curve in adopting the connectivity underpinned by low Earth orbiting satellites. During a meeting with editors on Friday, Ramaphosa said there was progress in talks with Musk. 'I have had discussions with him and have said, “Elon, you (have) become so successful and you’re investing in a variety of countries, I want you to come home and invest here”,’ he said, responding to a question on why Starlink has yet to enter the SA market. ‘He and I are going to have a further discussion.’ With SA being slow to bring in Starlink technology, a number of telecom providers are working to secure deals that will, it is hoped, put them ahead of the competition, particularly in outlying and remote areas where connectivity continues to be a challenge. Starlink is already operational in several neighbouring countries, including Zambia, eSwatini, Malawi and Zimbabwe, the latest African nation to gain access to the high-speed internet service. Musk, in response to a post by a frustrated SA consumer on X, said Starlink is ‘waiting for regulatory approval’ to begin operating in SA.

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