SpaceX-owned satellite internet provider Starlink has asked South African authorities to address the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Act, a key requirement the company has str
SpaceX-owned satellite internet provider Starlink has asked South African authorities to address the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Act, a key requirement the company has struggled to meet. This call is the latest of several Starlink appeals in its long search for launch in South Africa.
In a hybrid stakeholder meeting on draft amendments to the country’s Radio Frequency Spectrum Regulations, 2015, which runs from Wednesday to Thursday, Starlink urged the South African regulators to consider eradicating or relaxing the rule.
While rendering comments on Wednesday, Ryan Goodnight, senior director for market access and development at SpaceX, encouraged the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to address how the licensing and ownership regime clashes with fee rules.
Senior Director for Market Access and Development at SpaceX, Ryan Goodnight He noted that spectrum regulations require a minimum 30% equity stake for historically disadvantaged groups, which Starlink cannot meet given its management structure and global operations.
The local ownership rule has been a major hindrance to Starlink’s launch in South Africa. Sometime last year, Elon Musk said the country has refused to bend rules or approve the company’s licence because “he is not black”.
Specifically, the Electronic Communications Act (ECA) requires holders of individual licences to be at least 30% owned by historically disadvantaged groups, a policy to fix economic inequality from the apartheid era.
Amid calls for relaxation, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi gazetted a final policy direction on 12 December 2025. The document aims to compel ICASA to recognise equity-equivalent investment programmes as an alternative mechanism, which SpaceX has advocated since 2024 by offering its hardware to schools and rural communities for free.
ICASA – Independent Communications Authority of South Africa However, ratification and approval of the framework have stalled after ICASA said it could not give full effect without an amendment to the ECA.
Meanwhile, Amazon is set to launch its satellite internet operation, Amazon Leo, in South Africa but with a different approach. The company will partner with Herotel, the local company that will serve as its distributor.
As of July 2026, Starlink has launched in 29 African countries, with the latest being Côte d’Ivoire.
Also read: Beyond Starlink: Amazon Leo, Spacesail, Space24 seek entry into South Africa.
Aside from its push for equivalent investment programmes, Starlink also encouraged the South African regulators to consider extending spectrum licence terms to a minimum of 10 years with clear renewal rules. Goodnight argued that this gives operators an avenue to set out a long-term infrastructure and operational plan.
In addition, the company wants a new gateway earth station fee charged per licence rather than per station. With this, a single licence can cover multiple gateways across the country. It also urged the regulator to expand the Ku-band spectrum available to earth stations in motion.
Starlink described the spectrum consultation as a welcome development. Goodnight described the consultation as an improvement on the existing regime and commended ICASA for drawing on international best practice.
According to him, SpaceX, founded in 2002, has completed more than 680 successful missions and now serves over 12 million Starlink customers. He mentioned that the experience accumulated across its global footprint gave the company a clear view of which regulatory approaches work.
For now, Starlink is still exploring the equivalent investment programmes option for a launch in South Africa.
