Elon Musk alleges bribery attempt in South African Starlink license dispute

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, claims that Starlink was offered an opportunity to "bribe" its way to a telecommunications license in South Africa. He stated that this involved pretending a black person ran the company's local entity, an offer he refused on principle. Musk alleges that Starlink is barred from operating in South Africa because he is not black, a claim South African officials have dismissed. Talks on launching Starlink in South Africa stalled after Musk and US President Donald Trump publicly criticized policies like Black Economic Empowerment BEE laws, which require foreign-owned telecoms companies to allocate at least 30% of local equity to historically disadvantaged groups. Clayson Monyela, Head of Diplomacy, refuted Musk's bribery allegations, calling them "pure lies, a fabrication," and emphasized that all companies must comply with South African law. Monyela also noted that over 600 US companies operate in South Africa, complying with laws and thriving. Despite a policy direction issued last year by Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi to provide alternatives for satellite internet services, Starlink remains unavailable in South Africa, though it operates in some neighboring countries. The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia also declined Starlink's application to operate there in March 2026.