President Ramaphosa Meets With Elon Musk In New York Amid Starlink Anticipation

President Cyril Ramaphosa met with South African-born tech billionaire Elon Musk in a private meeting in New York yesterday.

The discussion, described by Ramaphosa as “positive,” took place during his participation in the 79th Session of the United Nations General Debate and High-Level Week.

Ramaphosa’s trip to New York included efforts to attract foreign direct investment into South Africa.

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While addressing the SA-US Interactive Business Forum at the New York Stock Exchange, he also held a keynote speech at a roundtable hosted by the Business Council for International Understanding.

Musk, known for leading companies like SpaceX, Tesla, and X Corp (formerly Twitter), has sparked interest in South Africa over the delayed launch of Starlink, his satellite internet service.

While Starlink is available in neighboring countries such as Botswana and Zambia, its South African launch remains uncertain, with the availability date listed as “unknown.”

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Ramaphosa previously noted progress in talks with Musk about bringing Starlink to South Africa, emphasizing his desire for Musk to invest in his home country.

Musk has acknowledged that Starlink is “waiting for regulatory approval” from South Africa, with the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) stating that it has yet to receive a formal application from the service. ICASA’s chairman, Mothibi Ramusi, cited compliance with local regulations, including a 30% Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) requirement, as a condition for licensing.

Despite regulatory hurdles, the meeting between Ramaphosa and Musk signals potential progress in bringing the tech billionaire’s services and investments to South Africa.