Why Botswana Turned Down Elon Musk’s Starlink Satellite Internet

Botswana has recently decided to deny approval for Elon Musk’s Starlink to operate within the country, a move that has raised eyebrows just ahead of Starlink’s planned launch in Q4 2024.

Starlink had initially submitted its application to establish operations in Botswana back in May 2023. However, the country’s regulatory authorities found that the company had failed to provide all the necessary information required for approval.

To operate in Botswana, companies like Elon Musk’s Starlink are mandated to pay an application fee of P5,600 and an annual license fee that can amount to as much as P386,000, approximately $28,500. Furthermore, they are expected to contribute 3% of their annual operating revenue.

Starlink’s journey in Africa has been far from smooth, with numerous regulatory challenges cropping up across the continent. This comes at a time when only 40% of Africa’s vast population of over 1.3 billion have access to the internet, marking the lowest internet penetration rate in the world.

One notable setback for Starlink was its ban in South Africa due to non-compliance with the legal requirement stipulated in the Electronics Communications Act (ECA). The ECA mandates that historically disadvantaged groups (HDGs) must hold a 30% ownership stake in a company before it can obtain the necessary telecoms licenses to offer broadband services locally.

Additionally, Zimbabwean legislators also rejected Starlink’s application, citing concerns related to an EU investigation into another venture of Elon Musk’s – his social media platform. Despite these challenges, Starlink has secured licenses in countries such as Zambia, Eswatini, Mozambique, and Malawi, illustrating a mixed reception for Elon Musk’s Starlink venture in the African continent.