SpaceX’s satellite internet service Starlink has launched an unusual grassroots campaign, asking South Africans to directly contact the telecommunications regulator to support regulatory changes that would allow the company to operate in the country. The move represents a significant escalation in the company’s years-long effort to enter one of Africa’s most lucrative internet markets.
Direct Appeal to Citizens
In a recent email to its South African database, Starlink encouraged recipients to contact the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), urging the regulator to implement a policy directive that would permit the company to obtain a telecommunications license. The company went so far as to provide a clickable link to a pre-written email expressing citizen support for the regulatory change, making it as easy as possible for supporters to voice their opinion.
The email emphasised urgency, telling recipients that South Africa is closer than ever to what Starlink describes as a transformative digital breakthrough. The company claimed that by correcting just four sentences in licensing regulations, Starlink service could be available nationwide within weeks, adding dramatic stakes to what has been a protracted regulatory battle.
The Regulatory Roadblock
Starlink has been unable to operate in South Africa for several years due to the country’s Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment laws, which require telecommunications companies to have at least 30% ownership by historically disadvantaged South Africans. This requirement has proven to be an insurmountable obstacle for the Elon Musk-owned company, which has refused to cede equity in the business.
In December 2024, Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi issued a policy directive to ICASA requesting alignment of licensing regulations with the ICT Sector Code. The directive would allow companies like Starlink to meet empowerment requirements through Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes (EEIPs) rather than direct equity ownership. Under this model, companies can invest in local infrastructure, skills development, and community programs instead of transferring ownership stakes.
Widespread But Contested Support
The policy directive was supported by 90% of South Africans during a public consultation period, according to statements from both Starlink and Minister Malatsi. This overwhelming public response appears to have emboldened the company’s direct appeal strategy.
However, the initiative has sparked fierce political controversy. In December 2024, Minister Malatsi faced strong criticism from the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, the Economic Freedom Fighters, and the African National Congress. Critics accused the minister of making an unlawful move that bypassed Parliament when he finalised the policy.
The ANC, which governs in coalition with Malatsi’s Democratic Alliance party, expressed deep concern about the directive. The party argued that the changes would allow foreign satellite providers to bypass core transformation obligations, risking the reversal of hard-won gains in economic empowerment while entrenching foreign dominance in a strategic national industry.
The Broader Context
Starlink’s frustration with South Africa’s regulatory environment is particularly acute given its rapid expansion across the rest of Africa. The service is now available in Lesotho, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Eswatini, Malawi, Mozambique, Madagascar, Botswana, Ghana, Nigeria, Niger, Liberia, Benin, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan, Rwanda, Burundi, Cape Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe, more than two dozen African countries in total. South Africa, despite being one of the continent’s largest and most developed economies, remains conspicuously absent from this list.
What Happens Next
All eyes are now on ICASA, which must decide whether to implement Minister Malatsi’s directive. The regulatory body faces pressure from multiple directions: public opinion appears to favour allowing Starlink to operate, the minister has issued a formal policy directive, but powerful political voices within the government oppose the move on transformational grounds.
Starlink’s email concluded with an appeal to emotion and urgency, stating that every day of delay keeps millions offline. Whether this grassroots pressure campaign will influence ICASA’s decision remains to be seen, but it represents an unconventional approach in what has become one of South Africa’s most contentious telecommunications debates.
