Elon Musk has criticized South Africa’s laws requiring 30% Black ownership for businesses, calling them “openly racist” and a barrier to Starlink’s entry into the country.
Starlink, a satellite internet service developed by Musk’s SpaceX, aims to provide affordable internet access worldwide, but Musk claims the ownership requirement is preventing its operation in South Africa.
In a post on X, Musk called the law “absolutely shameful” and stated, “Starlink is not allowed to operate in South Africa because I’m not black.” His remarks came in response to a discussion about South Africa’s race-based regulations.
However, Clayson Monyela, South Africa’s Deputy Director-General for Public Diplomacy, refuted Musk’s claim, stating that Starlink is welcome if it complies with local laws, just as over 600 U.S. companies currently do in South Africa.
The country’s Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policy was introduced to address racial inequalities following the end of apartheid in 1994.
Despite Starlink being unavailable in South Africa, neighboring countries like Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe have already adopted the service. Starlink’s global user base now exceeds 5 million.
