The news:
- Starlink has suspended South African accounts accessing its service via international roaming.
- The disconnection follows pressure from South Africa’s telecoms regulator, ICASA.
- Starlink has no local licence due to compliance challenges with equity ownership laws.
Starlink has begun disconnecting South African users who accessed its satellite internet service through unofficial means, mostly by subscribing to international roaming plans.
This move comes amid a regulatory crackdown by South Africa’s Independent Communications Authority (ICASA), which has reiterated that the company is not licensed to operate locally.
For many users, Starlink offered a lifeline, especially in rural areas underserved by traditional internet providers.
By subscribing to Starlink’s global roaming packages through resellers based in neighbouring countries, South Africans had found a workaround to gain high-speed internet.
However, ICASA has issued warnings to distributors and consumers alike, stressing that the use of Starlink’s service in the country without proper authorisation is illegal.
Starlink itself has now acted. Affected users received notices stating that South Africa is not an approved service location and were advised either to cancel their subscriptions or relocate the equipment to a supported country. This decisive step cuts off a popular, albeit unofficial, access route for thousands.
The situation underscores a larger problem: Starlink has been unable to launch officially in South Africa due to licensing barriers. Local regulations require telecoms companies to be at least 30% owned by historically disadvantaged South Africans. Starlink, which operates through SpaceX, has so far not met this Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) threshold.
However, the door may not be closed entirely. Communications Minister Solly Malatsi has introduced a draft policy suggesting alternative ways for foreign tech firms to meet empowerment requirements, such as investing in digital infrastructure or education programs, rather than giving up equity. If adopted, the policy could provide a legal path for Starlink to enter the market.
The proposed shift has sparked debate. Critics argue it may dilute transformation goals, while supporters see it as a pragmatic way to attract global tech investment and close the digital divide. For now, South Africans without access to reliable internet, particularly in remote communities, are left in limbo, caught between regulatory frameworks and technological need.
