While Africa’s satellite internet landscape explodes with Starlink’s high-speed beams lighting up remote villages from Nigeria to Rwanda, South Africa remains stubbornly offline. Only nine countries on the continent—including SA—still lag behind in this connectivity revolution, largely due to rigid Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) regulations. Rural South Africans craving digital access are left in the lurch, while black market workarounds keep Starlink alive under the radar.
Africa’s Satellite Internet Boom: 24 Countries and Counting
The African continent is undergoing a digital transformation powered by low-Earth orbit satellites, with Elon Musk’s Starlink leading the charge. As of September 2025, Starlink is officially available in 24 African nations, delivering download speeds up to 106 Mbps in top performers like Botswana. From bustling urban hubs to isolated rural outposts, these countries are bridging the digital divide at warp speed.
Nigeria kicked off the rollout in January 2023, followed by Rwanda and Mozambique. By mid-2025, the service expanded to 18 countries, including Kenya, Malawi, and Ghana, where median speeds have transformed remote work and education. Recent launches in Niger, Liberia, and Lesotho pushed the total to 24, with more on the horizon.
- Benin: Available since November 2023
- Botswana: Available since August 2024, topping speed charts at 106 Mbps
- Burundi: Available since September 2024
- Cabo Verde: Available since December 2024
- Chad: Available, boosting cross-border trade
- Democratic Republic of Congo: Available, connecting vast mineral-rich regions
- Eswatini: Available since December 2023
- Ghana: Available since August 2024
- Guinea-Bissau: Available, enhancing coastal connectivity
- Kenya: Available since July 2023, fueling tech startups
- Lesotho: Available in early 2025
- Liberia: Available since January 2025
- Madagascar: Available since June 2024
- Malawi: Available since July 2023
- Mozambique: Available since June 2023
- Nigeria: Pioneer launch in January 2023
- Niger: Available since March 2025
- Rwanda: Available since February 2023
- Sierra Leone: Available since June 2024
- Somalia: License granted, operational
- South Sudan: Available since July 2024
- Zambia: Available since October 2023
- Zimbabwe: Available since November 2024
This rapid expansion isn’t just about speed—it’s about empowerment. In Rwanda, Starlink’s first gateway installation in October 2025 is set to supercharge e-health and agritech initiatives. Across the continent, satellite internet is stitching together a pan-African digital economy, one beam at a time.
The BEE Roadblock: Why South Africa Is Stuck in Neutral
South Africa’s exclusion from this boom stems from its unique Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policies, designed to redress apartheid-era inequalities by mandating 30% equity ownership for historically disadvantaged groups in telecom licenses. Starlink, a foreign entity, balks at diluting control, leading to a two-year standoff with regulators such as ICASA.
Elon Musk has publicly criticized BEE as a barrier to innovation, arguing it deters global investment. In June 2025, Starlink proposed a R2 billion investment in local infrastructure to sidestep strict ownership rules, but negotiations drag on. Political pressures from telcos and equity advocates have further stalled progress, with whispers of mid-2025 launches fading into uncertainty.
While workarounds like adjusted BEE exemptions are under discussion, SA’s rigid framework contrasts sharply with neighbors like Namibia and Botswana, where simpler regulations greenlit quick approvals. The result? South Africa, Africa’s most industrialized economy, risks falling behind in the satellite internet race.
The Nine Laggards: SA’s Unlikely Company
South Africa isn’t entirely alone in its Starlink snub—eight other nations trail due to regulatory snarls, geopolitical tensions, or infrastructure issues. Together, these nine represent the final frontiers in Africa’s satellite rollout.
- South Africa: BEE ownership mandates delay entry
- Algeria: State-controlled telecoms resist foreign competition
- Central African Republic: No planned launch amid instability
- Djibouti: Strategic port politics complicate approvals
- Egypt: National security concerns over satellite tech
- Eritrea: Isolationist policies block imports
- Libya: Ongoing conflict hampers deployment
- Morocco: Preference for domestic satellite projects
- Sudan: Political turmoil stalls licensing
These holdouts highlight broader challenges: while most of Africa races ahead, legacy regulations and instability keep pockets in the dark.
Rural Connectivity Dreams Dashed: SA’s Digital Divide Deepens
In South Africa’s vast rural expanses, home to over 20 million people, the absence of Starlink exacerbates a glaring digital divide. Only 60% of rural households have internet access, compared to 90% in urban areas, leaving farmers, students, and entrepreneurs offline.
Poor network coverage stifles women-led businesses, with unreliable signals hindering e-commerce and emergency services. The African Union’s 2030 universal connectivity goal feels distant as infrastructural gaps—such as inconsistent broadband and high costs—persist. Community networks offer hope, but without satellite backups like Starlink, rural SA risks economic isolation in a connected world.
Black Market Hacks: Starlink’s Underground Life in SA
Regulation be damned—South Africans are accessing Starlink via black market imports and DIY workarounds. Since 2022, users have smuggled kits from Botswana and Namibia, bypassing geo-fencing with VPNs and custom firmware mods.
These setups, often costing double the official R1,200 kit price, thrive on forums and WhatsApp groups. Cybersecurity risks loom large, with experts warning of vulnerabilities in unauthorized terminals. A $25 modchip can override dish restrictions, turning gray-market gear into functional hotspots. For now, this underground ecosystem keeps rural dreamers connected, but at the risk of fines and service disruptions.
Outlook: Will SA Catch the Satellite Wave?
As Africa’s satellite boom accelerates toward full continental coverage, South Africa’s BEE impasse could crack under pressure from digital equity advocates. With Starlink eyeing a R2 billion local investment and regulators mulling exemptions, a 2026 launch is plausible. Until then, SA’s odd-one-out status underscores a tough truth: in the race for rural connectivity, policy hurdles can eclipse technological promise. For South Africans eager for high-speed horizons, the wait continues—but black market whispers hint at faster futures.