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\n Deputy Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Mondli Gungubele said on September 28 that the government was ready to welcome Starlink, provided it operates within South Africa\u2019s equity framework.
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\n Speaking at Bloomberg\u2019s 2026 Africa Business Media Innovators gathering in Hermanus, Western Cape, Gungubele said Starlink could contribute to the government\u2019s efforts to improve connectivity.
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\n He urged multinational companies to participate in efforts to reduce inequality and expand local capabilities.
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\n Gungubele also framed the issue as one of technological sovereignty. He argued that foreign companies should not simply deploy technology and leave, but should help South African engineers and institutions acquire the knowledge and capabilities needed to maintain and develop those systems locally.
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\n \u201cTo me, sovereignty of the developing countries is when the multinationals sit down in that country, the invested country, and agree\u201d on technology and capability transfer, Gungubele said.
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\n The comments revive a dispute that has kept Starlink from launching commercially in one of Africa\u2019s largest economies.
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\n The 30% ownership issue
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\n South Africa\u2019s Electronic Communications Act requires individual telecom licence holders to have at least 30% ownership by historically disadvantaged groups. ICASA reaffirmed in May 2026 that the requirement remains part of the licensing framework.
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\n Starlink has argued that the ownership requirement presents a barrier to entering the market. As of June, South Africa\u2019s communications minister said ICASA had received no licence applications from Starlink for spectrum, electronic communications network or electronic communications service licences.
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\n The government has nevertheless been trying to create an alternative through Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes (EEIPs).
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\n These would allow qualifying foreign companies to meet transformation objectives through investments in areas such as infrastructure, skills development and local economic participation rather than directly transferring 30% equity.
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\n The proposal has become complicated by a disagreement between the government and ICASA.
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\n While Communications Minister Solly Malatsi has pushed for EEIPs to be recognised in the telecoms sector, ICASA has said that fully aligning the licensing regime with EEIPs would require an amendment to the Electronic Communications Act.
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\n For Gungubele, however, the argument extends beyond ownership. He said developing countries need to build their own technological capabilities so they are not dependent on one or two foreign countries when crises disrupt global supply chains.
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\n The challenge is equally clear for Musk: gaining access to the South African market requires navigating a regulatory system that the government says is designed not only to attract investment, but also to ensure that investment contributes to local economic transformation.
\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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