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Cape Town, South Africa – Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, Starlink, is poised to halt its operations in South Africa by the end of this month, following issues with regulatory compliance. According to a report by the privately owned News 24 website, Starlink has informed its South African users that they will lose internet access as the service is not officially registered in the country.
This decision mirrors similar actions taken by Starlink in other African nations. Recently, the company ceased its operations in Zimbabwe after the local communications regulator issued a directive stating that Starlink was not authorized to operate within the country. Additionally, last month, service was discontinued in the Democratic Republic of Congo following interventions by the country’s regulatory authorities. In Botswana, Starlink faced a setback when local authorities denied its application for a license.
Despite its high cost, Starlink has been a preferred choice for many in Africa, especially those in remote and rural areas, due to its reliability compared to local internet service providers. The service’s discontinuation poses significant connectivity challenges for these users, who have few alternatives that match Starlink’s performance.
The series of regulatory challenges across the continent highlights the difficulties faced by international tech companies in navigating local laws and regulations, which can vary significantly from one country to another.
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