President Cyril Ramaphosa Comes Underfire Over Reported Starlink Deal With Elon Musk Ahead of Trump Meeting
President Cyril Ramaphosa has come under fire from South Africans following reports of a proposed Starlink deal with Elon Musk.
The agreement would reportedly allow the satellite internet company to operate in South Africa.
The proposed deal would reportedly bypass South Africa’s strict Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) requirements.
According to a Bloomberg, Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration is preparing a special licensing offer that would allow Musk’s Starlink to bypass the standard 30% black ownership requirement for foreign telecommunications firms.
Starlink Deal on the Table Ahead of Trump Engagement
A reported Starlink deal is expected to be discussed during a last-minute meeting between Elon Musk (or his representatives) and a South African delegation accompanying President Cyril Ramaphosa in the United States.
This meeting precedes Ramaphosa’s scheduled talks with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, part of an effort to repair strained diplomatic relations between the two nations.
Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, confirmed to Reuters that the issue of Starlink’s licensing will be addressed during the visit.
Elon Musk’s BEE Critique
Elon Musk, who was born in South Africa, previously stirred controversy by claiming that Starlink was blocked from entering the local market because he is not black. His statement was widely interpreted as a criticism of South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) policy, which requires 30% ownership in foreign telecom ventures to be held by historically disadvantaged groups.
In response, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) clarified in March that Starlink had never applied for a license to operate in the country.
Backlash Over Alleged Diplomatic Strategy
The reported move to accommodate Elon Musk and his Starlink venture is widely seen as a calculated effort by the South African government to ease tensions with both Musk and the United States—especially ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s meeting with Donald Trump.
However, the development has sparked public outrage. Critics argue that making exceptions for Musk weakens the integrity of South Africa’s transformation policies, which are designed to correct long-standing economic disparities