Important information for people who want Starlink in South Africa

Satellite broadband company Starlink has appealed to South Africans who want to use its service to support a policy direction issued by the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies (DCDT).

South Africans who registered their interest in the service on its website have received emails from the company explaining how they could help Starlink launch in the country.

“Right now, Starlink is currently unable to apply for the licences needed to operate in South Africa. But there is hope,” the email states.

Starlink asked people to share their support for DCDT Policy Direction No. 3218 on ‘Equity Equivalents’ dated 23 May 2025 by emailing [email protected] or calling 012 427 8107 before 4 July.

It said if the government adopted this policy in the telecom sector and made the necessary regulatory changes, Starlink could apply for the licences required to launch.

“That means we could finally connect you and thousands of others in South Africa who have been waiting for the Starlink service to become available,” the company said.

Starlink said that the DCDT’s policy directive would give companies like itself a way to contribute meaningfully to the country’s transformation goals.

“The same approach is already widely used across many industries in South Africa,” Starlink said. “This policy would extend the same opportunity to the telecom sector.”

Starlink also said it had submitted a proposal to the government to bring free high-speed Internet to thousands of rural schools, giving millions of students access to information and learning tools.

The company thanked interested users for their support. “As soon as we are approved to operate in South Africa, we will let you know,” it added.

The message is significant as it is the first time that Starlink has sent any official communication directly to South African users, aside from those using the service via a roaming workaround.

Communications minister takes flak for trying to fix policy problem

The appeal comes shortly after communications minister Solly Malatsi was grilled in Parliament over his proposal to introduce equity equivalent investment programmes (EEIPs) in the telecoms sector.

Members of Parliament’s portfolio committee on communications were suspicious of the move coming just two days after a meeting between President Cyril Ramaphosa and US President Donald Trump.

SpaceX owner Elon Musk and billionaire Johann Rupert also attended the meeting. Rupert told Trump that South Africa needed US technologies, including Starlink, to improve policing.

Malatsi first told MyBroadband he intended to issue a policy direction on EEIPs to the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) in October 2024.

“This is part of an initiative to significantly expand access to broadband connectivity to poor South Africans and people living in remote parts of the country,” Malatsi said.

While he did not name Starlink specifically, at that point it was well known that South Africa’s ownership equity laws had discouraged SpaceX from rolling out the service locally.

The minister has maintained there was no underhanded effort to give Starlink a backdoor entry into South Africa and that the department has been working on EEIPs for a long time.

Malatsi said the full introduction and recognition of EEIPs in the ICT sector was in his department’s submission for the Medium Term Development Plan (MTDP) 2024-2029, published in March 2025.

“The MTDP was adopted by cabinet, and that is a matter of record,” Malatsi told Newzroom Afrika. “There is cabinet support and recognition for the proposed policy direction,” Malatsi argued.

Lawful alternative to ownership

EEIPs are supported under the Electronic Communications Act (ECA) and the ICT Sector Code. They allow multinationals to comply with 30% equity ownership requirements via alternative programmes.

These can include investments in local suppliers, enterprises, skills development, job creation, infrastructure support, research and innovation, and digital inclusion initiatives.

In the case of Starlink, it appears as though the company is willing to provide its equipment and services for free to schools, which would help drive digital inclusion.

Legal firm Webber Wentzel has also argued that Malatsi’s proposal did not contravene any of the country’s transformation laws.

The firm explained that the policy direction would align Icasa’s ownership rules for telecoms licensees with the country’s B-BBEE laws.