Elon Musk's Starlink is taking another step towards entering South Africa, nearly four years after the satellite internet company first became entangled in the country's ownership and telecommunications rules.
The latest development is significant because SpaceX is no longer simply arguing that South Africa's rules are preventing Starlink from operating.
Its senior director for market access and development, Ryan Goodnight, recently appeared before the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), pressing the regulator to clarify how its ownership, licensing and spectrum rules would apply to satellite operators.
That comes after Starlink's rapid expansion across the rest of Africa.
Nigeria became its first African market in January 2023, followed by Rwanda, Mozambique, Kenya, Malawi and Zambia that year. By mid-2026, Starlink was operating in more than two dozen African markets, while South Africa remained one of the continent’s largest markets without the service.
