outh Africa’s communications regulator, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), has issued a firm warning to citizens using Starlink’s satellite internet services without the necessary authorisation. The regulator stressed that using such unlicensed services is a violation of national regulations and may result in enforcement action.
Although Starlink has been engaged in a months-long effort to launch its services in South Africa, the company has yet to submit a formal application for the licences required to operate legally within the country. A key hurdle is South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) legislation, which mandates that 30% ownership of companies be held by historically disadvantaged groups—a requirement Starlink has thus far been unwilling to meet.
In light of these obstacles, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi recently introduced a proposed policy direction that offers “equity equivalent” alternatives. Under this new approach, foreign companies like Starlink could potentially invest in local infrastructure or in small Black-owned enterprises, instead of fulfilling the traditional equity ownership requirements.
However, the proposal has ignited controversy over its timing and intent. Critics contend that the policy shift appears designed specifically to accommodate Starlink, especially after Elon Musk publicly denounced South Africa’s BEE laws as “openly racist.”
Opposition parties and industry stakeholders have voiced concerns that allowing such exceptions could erode South Africa’s commitment to economic transformation and set a dangerous precedent of regulatory favoritism.
“We are not going to accept a situation where our laws are going to be rewritten in Washington,” said Sixolisa Gcilishe, a member of the leftist Economic Freedom Fighters, on Tuesday.
Although the government insists that the proposed policy changes are not intended to benefit any particular company, the situation underscores a broader tension between encouraging technological innovation and upholding equitable economic principles.
