Starlink the satellite internet company by Elon Musk is growing fast in Africa. It now works in more than 20 countries on the continent.
Just this month, Somalia gave Starlink a 10-year license to operate. Lesotho also allowed Starlink to begin service around the same time.
Somalia’s Technology Minister, Mohamed Adam Moalim Ali, said, “We welcome Starlink. This will help us bring internet to all parts of the country—even remote villages.”
Starlink is helpful for rural areas where it’s hard to set up internet with cables or mobile towers. Instead of using wires, Starlink sends internet through satellites that fly close to Earth. Because they’re closer, they give faster internet than regular satellites.
In 2023, Nigeria became the first African country to let Starlink in. Now, Starlink is already the second biggest internet provider there.
But strangely, Starlink is still not allowed in South Africa, even though it’s the continent’s most developed country.
Some people in South Africa found a way around this. They bought roaming packages from nearby countries where Starlink works. But Starlink stopped this in 2024, and South Africa’s communications body, Icasa, warned that using Starlink this way is illegal and could lead to big fines.
Keep Reading
Still, many people in South Africa—about 20% of the population—don’t have any internet access, especially in rural areas. So experts say that Starlink and the government should find a solution together.
If they do, it could help millions of people get online. It could also help the government reach its goal of giving internet to everyone by 2030.
