Elon Musk ripped South African laws that require 30% of a company’s equity to be owned by Black South Africans, claiming the ‘openly racist’ law poses a roadblock for his Starlink satellite network in the country.
Starlink, developed by Musk’s SpaceX rocket company, aims to provide low-cost internet to users “no matter how remote,” according to its website. Musk, who was born and raised in South Africa, reposted on X that the law is “absolutely shameful.”
“Starlink is not allowed to operate in South Africa, because I’m not black,” Musk posted on X on Friday, responding to a video discussing South Africa’s “140 race-based laws.”
Clayson Monyela, Deputy Director-General of South Africa’s public diplomacy department, responded to Musk, “Sir, that’s NOT true & you know it! It’s got nothing to do with your skin colour.
“Starlink is welcome to operate in South Africa provided there’s compliance with local laws. This is a global international trade & investment principle. There are over 600 USA companies investing & operating in #SouthAfrica…all complying & thriving!”
South Africa said it has enacted the policy, known as the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE), to “redress the inequalities of the past.”
South African apartheid, in which a white minority enforced racial segregation and widespread inequality, was dismantled in 1994. Since then, South Africa implemented legislative systems to support their post-apartheid transition.
Starlink satellites are designed for self-installation, as directions for the residential and hand-held options are to “plug it in” and “point at the sky.” South Africa’s neighboring countries, Botswana, Zambia, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe operate Starlink satellites, according to the company’s availability map.
The number of people using Starlink around the world has grown to more than 5M+ and counting.
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