Elon Musk alleges bribery attempt in South African Starlink license dispute

Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, claims Starlink was offered the opportunity to obtain a telecommunications license in South Africa by falsely presenting a black individual as the head of its local entity. Musk stated on X that he refused this on principle, asserting that Starlink's inability to launch in South Africa is due to his not being black. He criticized South African politicians and laws, calling them racist. Clayson Monyela, Head of Diplomacy, refuted Musk's bribery allegations, calling them "pure lies" and a "fabrication." Monyela stated that the South African government has not requested any bribe and expects all companies to comply with the law. He highlighted that over 600 US companies operate successfully in South Africa by adhering to local regulations. An X user, Michael de Villiers, also challenged Musk's claims, accusing him of spreading misinformation and smearing South Africa. Discussions regarding Starlink's launch in South Africa stalled last year. Policies such as Black Economic Empowerment BEE laws require foreign-owned telecoms companies to allocate at least 30% of local equity to historically disadvantaged groups. In May last year, Communications and Digital Technologies Minister Solly Malatsi issued a policy direction to explore alternatives to these requirements, potentially paving the way for Starlink. Despite this, Starlink is not yet available in South Africa, although it operates in some neighboring countries. The Communications Regulatory