SA TO OFFER MUSK STARLINK DEAL BEFORE TRUMP MEETING, BLOOMBERG NEWS REPORTS

President Cyril Ramaphosa and Tesla founder Elon Musk will meet to discuss the operation of Starlink in South Africa.
Image: SA government/X

Tue 20 May 2025:

South Africa’s government plans to offer a workaround of local Black ownership laws for Elon Musk’s Starlink internet service to operate in the country, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing three people familiar with the discussions aiming to ease tensions with both the billionaire and US President Donald Trump.

The offer will come at a last-minute meeting planned for Tuesday night between Musk or his representatives and a delegation of South African officials travelling with Ramaphosa, the report added.

Musk, who is South African-born, has previously claimed Starlink was barred from operating in South Africa because he is not black, an allegation South African officials refuted. The Independent Communications Authority of South Africa said in March that Starlink had not applied for a licence.

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Musk’s assertion appeared to be taking a swipe at local Black Economic Empowerment rules, requiring foreign-owned telecommunications licencees to sell 30% of the equity in their local subsidiaries to historically disadvantaged groups.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and a delegation of government officials arrived in Washington on Monday in a bid to reset strained ties with the US. Ramaphosa is scheduled to meet US President Donald Trump on Wednesday.

His spokesperson Vincent Magwenya told Reuters on Monday that the issue of licensing for Starlink would be discussed during the US visit.

Trump has amplified claims of a “white genocide” in South Africa, particularly tied to land expropriation policies, which he and Elon Musk argue target white farmers.

Trump cut $500 million in U.S. aid to South Africa in early 2025, citing corruption and anti-white racism, straining relations. South Africa, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, seeks to defuse the issue through diplomacy, including a proposed Starlink workaround, ahead of a White House meeting on May 21, 2025, to counter Trump’s criticisms and maintain ties.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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