SA minister keeps Starlink at arm's length
South Africa's communications minister, Solly Malatsi, has said he will not engage directly with SpaceX over its application for licences to operate its Starlink internet service in the country.
Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Malatsi said such engagements were the responsibility of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA).
"We have never even had the first communication. The process of applications for individual licences happened with the regulator, which is ICASA," he said.
"It would be excessively inappropriate for a minister to be engaged with individual applications or a potential licence by any provider whatsoever."
Malatsi previously met with SpaceX representatives in 2024 to gauge its investment plans and explain the current regulatory requirements, after which he suggested South Africa should examine telecoms regulations that could be impeding digital inclusion.
The remarks came after President Cyril Ramaphosa met with Elon Musk to discuss potential investments in South Africa during a visit to the UN General Assembly in New York.
While most of South Africa's neighbours have already approved the Starlink satellite internet service, it remains in regulatory limbo in the country. To qualify for telecoms licences in South Africa, operators must be 30% owned by historically disadvantaged groups (HDGs) — a requirement that can be met either by establishing a local entity with the requisite ownership structure or by partnering with a local firm that already qualifies.
Starlink has refused to pursue either pathway, arguing that ICASA's licensing regulations are not aligned with the ICT Sector Code or broad-based black economic empowerment laws.
-MyBroadband
