NEW RULES FOR SATELLITE INTERNET OPERATORS IN SOUTH AFRICA — INCLUDING STARLINK
- BEE NEWS
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Luis Monzon | 22 April 2026
South Africa’s communication regulator, ICASA, is working on a new licensing framework for satellite Internet operators, and specifically named Elon Musk’s SpaceX among firms it will target.
In its annual performance plan for 2026/27, ICASA said it was developing the framework to address the widening digital divide in remote areas and encourage investment.
“The goal is to create a transparent, efficient, and sustainable regulatory environment that fosters investment, competition, and the expansion of satellite services,” it said in the plan.
ICASA explained that the new licensing framework is aimed at increasing access to Internet connectivity in rural areas in South Africa and reducing cross-border communication costs.
“Newer ICT technologies and infrastructure are needed in the rural, remote, and underserved areas to mitigate the widening of the digital divide,” it said, listing satellite operators as a solution.
“ICASA will monitor the impact of satellite-based services and their potential role in providing more affordable cross-border communications.”
The regulator clarified that the development of the framework was a multi-year project with specific completion goals. It was initiated in the 2025/26 financial year and approved by Council.
This, it said, constitutes 75% of the total process. The remaining part of the process will be concluded in the 2026/27 financial year when the “Final Satellite Regulation” is approved by Council.
ICASA would now conduct public hearings as it prepared draft final regulations for legal vetting. This will be the final step before the regulations are approved by Q4 in the financial year.
The regulator also said it had published statements on its website and social media to inform the public about unlicensed satellite operators providing services in South Africa.
In 2025, MyBroadband reported that many homes and businesses in South Africa were unlawfully using Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite Internet service. It was unlawful because the company was unlicensed.
Starlink in South Africa
A MyBroadband analysis at the time showed that Starlink’s speed and latency continued to improve significantly in South Africa, thanks to the company’s steady expansion across the continent.
Starlink saw significant speed improvements in South Africa that year, thanks to SpaceX installing ground stations in Kenya and Mozambique and to the growth of its orbital satellite fleet.
While Starlink remains unlawful to use in South Africa, some South Africans in remote areas accessed the service using its roaming product as a workaround, albeit at a higher cost.
The company attempted to restrict the exploitation of its roaming service, where customers can still connect to Starlink Internet outside of their country of origin, by cutting the service after a specific time.
However, the bypassing of these restrictions was becoming easier as Starlink launched in South Africa’s closest neighbours, including Lesotho in June 2025.
In February, Starlink dispelled certain myths about its planned local operations, including denying that it wanted to bypass Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) legislation.
“Starlink supports South Africa’s transformation objectives and proposes to meet them through Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes (EEIPs), a lawful and well-established B-BBEE mechanism,” it said.
It argued that ICASA’s current regulations around licensing operators do not align with B-BBEE legislation and empowerment goals.
The company highlighted that other sectors, such as technology and mining, allow foreign companies to operate in South Africa without being 30% owned by historically disadvantaged groups.
These companies instead use Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes (EEIPs) to contribute to transformation, where investments were made into projects advancing transformation goals.
“The goal is to encourage investment, promote competition and innovation, give practical effect to the ICT Sector Code, and ensure regulatory consistency,” ICASA said about EEIPs in its performance plan.
With EEIPs, companies can meet their empowerment obligations through strategic investments rather than solely through direct ownership, making it easier for multinationals to invest locally.
‘Disclaimer - The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the BEE CHAMBER’.