Musk’s Starlink eyes R2bn South Africa investment
Billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink, in a potential workaround of South Africa’s Black-empowerment rules to gain an operating license, may invest about R2-billion in the country, Business Day reported citing sources that it didn’t identify.
The internet services company will channel that investment into infrastructure to support the Southern African Development Community made up of 16 countries, the Johannesburg-based newspaper said. Starlink told the South African government it will use local firms to build its infrastructure and lease land, fibre, energy as well as for security and maintenance support.
It aims to secure a deal with South African authorities before the country hosts a Group of 20 summit in Johannesburg in November, Business Day said.
Pretoria-born Musk has previously indicated that he wants Starlink internet services to be made available in Africa’s largest economy. But he has refused to relinquish any equity in the business to comply with Black-empowerment rules, which he says are “openly racist.”
Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi has proposed changes to the country’s empowerment laws for multinational satellite providers. He’s proposed that these companies should be able to qualify for operating licenses by meeting criteria, such as investing in Black-owned businesses and related infrastructure in South Africa, instead of the current requirement that they partner with Black shareholders.
Still, the decision to award Starlink an operating license in South Africa will ultimately rest with the country’s industry regulator, Malatsi said earlier this month.
Comments
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Weir is a global leader in mining technology. We recognise that our planet’s future depends on the transition to renewable energy, and that...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Immersive Technologies is the world's largest, proven and tested supplier of simulator training solutions to the global resources industry.
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
