Elon Musk, the South Africa-born CEO of SpaceX, has accused the South African government of blocking Starlink’s license because he is not Black.
In a post on X today, Sunday, Musk wrote: “South Africa won’t allow Starlink to be licensed, even though I was BORN THERE, simply because I am not Black!”
He rejected offers to bypass rules by “pretending that a Black guy runs Starlink SA,” calling it bribery, and stated: “Racism should not be rewarded no matter to which race it is applied. Shame on the racist politicians in South Africa.”
The dispute centers on South Africa’s Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) policy. To obtain telecom licenses from ICASA, operators must meet 30% ownership by historically disadvantaged groups (primarily Black South Africans).
Starlink has offered free high-speed internet to 5,000 rural schools, a R500 million commitment benefiting over 2.4 million children yearly and operates in about two dozen other African countries.
Starlink has not received the required Electronic Communications licenses because it has not yet fully complied with ICASA’s current ownership rules. Authorities say the requirements apply equally to all operators to promote post-apartheid economic transformation and are not personal to Musk.
In December 2025, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi directed ICASA to recognize Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes (EEIPs) as an alternative to direct equity sales. This would allow substantial investments (such as Starlink’s schools project) to count toward empowerment targets.
As of April 2026, ICASA has not completed the regulatory updates, leaving Starlink’s formal launch pending. Unofficial use of kits has been restricted by both SpaceX and regulators.
No immediate government response was issued to Musk’s latest comments.