South African authorities have firmly rejected claims by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk that his satellite internet company, Starlink, is barred from operating in the country due to his race.
Musk, who was born and raised in South Africa, alleged on X (formerly Twitter) that “Starlink is not allowed to operate in South Africa because I’m not black.”
Responding swiftly, Clayson Monyela, a senior official at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation, dismissed the claim as misleading.
“Sir, that’s NOT true & you know it! It’s got nothing to do with your skin colour. Starlink is welcome to operate in South Africa provided there’s compliance with local laws. This is a global international trade & investment principle,” Monyela wrote on X.
The dispute appears to center around South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) regulations, which require foreign-owned telecommunications firms to allocate 30% of equity in their local subsidiaries to historically disadvantaged groups.
Technology news outlet TechCentral previously reported that SpaceX, Starlink’s parent company, had reached out to South Africa’s communications regulator, ICASA, urging a review of the 30% ownership requirement. However, an ICASA spokesperson stated that the regulator “has not received any application from Starlink or SpaceX.”
As discussions continue, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi has yet to issue a statement on the matter.
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