Image: Starlink
Starlink is making a rare public appeal in an effort to finally launch its satellite internet service in South Africa, asking local citizens to directly urge the country’s communications regulator to approve key licensing changes.
According to a report from Connecting Africa, SpaceX’s satellite internet arm recently emailed its South African database, petitioning people to contact the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to show support for proposed updates to the country’s licensing regulations. Starlink argues that these changes would clear the final regulatory hurdles preventing it from operating in the country.
In the email, Starlink pointed to a recent policy directive issued by South Africa’s Department of Communications and Digital Technologies, which instructs ICASA to update its rules to recognize Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE)-qualifying Equity Equivalent Investment Programs (EEIPs) within the ICT sector. Starlink claims the directive received backing from roughly 90% of participants during a public consultation process.
“This Directive was supported by 90% of South Africans during a recent public consultation and would allow Starlink and other global companies to obtain the required licenses,” Starlink said. The company went even further, suggesting that “by correcting just four sentences in the licensing regulations, Starlink service could be available nationwide within weeks.”
To make participation easy, Starlink reportedly included a ready-to-send email template for citizens to submit directly to ICASA. “Every day of delay keeps millions offline. Time is of the essence,” the company wrote, framing the issue as one of digital access and urgency.
Despite progress late last year that briefly suggested Starlink was closer than ever to a South African launch, the directive has sparked political backlash. Members of parliament, including Khusela Sangoni Diko, chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, have called for the directive’s withdrawal, arguing it undermines South Africa’s long-standing transformation and equity framework.
At the heart of the dispute is South Africa’s requirement that telecom license holders maintain at least 30% ownership by historically disadvantaged groups. EEIPs offer multinational companies an alternative path to compliance through substantial local investment rather than direct equity ownership. Starlink has repeatedly said it intends to comply fully with B-BBEE rules and has pledged major investments, including a commitment to spend R500 million ($30 million) on high-speed internet connectivity and equipment for 5,000 rural schools.
South Africa remains one of the few African markets where Starlink has yet to secure a license, despite the service now being available in more than two dozen countries across the continent. With Starlink Direct to Cell service also planned for Africa in 2026, South Africa’s decision could have broader implications for how quickly Starlink expands its footprint in the region.
