Kenyan Creative Edwin Butita Launches Slate 100 to Produce 100 Films in Two Years
March 26, 2026Nigeria’s 3MTT Gets $12.9M Boost to Train 3 Million Tech Workers
March 30, 2026Namibia’s Communications Regulatory Authority earlier this week declined to grant Elon Musk’s Starlink an operating license, marking another setback to the company’s expansion plans in Africa.
In 2024, Starlink Internet Services Namibia Ltd. applied for a Class Comprehensive Telecommunications Service License (ECS and ECNS) and a Spectrum License for fixed satellite services. However, the company failed to meet three of the six requirements set out under Namibian law.
The decision marks another regulatory hurdle for Starlink on the continent. The satellite internet provider has also faced licensing setbacks in South Africa and Cameroon, where legal and ownership rules have complicated its market entry.
Related post: How Elon Musk, the South African, Brought African Politics to America
Bridging the Digital Divide
With support from SpaceX, Starlink operates thousands of low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites to provide high-speed internet. This is particularly beneficial across rural or remote areas, which have historically been forgotten by traditional telecommunications companies. The United Nations reports that one-third of humanity remains offline. Starlink is on a mission to increase access to the internet and shrink the digital divide.
With over 9 million customers globally, operating across 155 countries and markets, Starlink has become a major player in the telecommunications industry. Yet their expansion into Africa has come with several hurdles.
Related post: Jack Dorsey’s Latest Bet: Bitchat, an Offline Messaging App
Access in Africa
Starlink made its debut on the continent in Nigeria in January 2023. Today it provides internet services to 26 African countries, including Kenya, Botswana, Ghana, and Mauritius. Starlink outperforms local terrestrial internet service providers, with an average download speed exceeding 40 Mbps in Q1 2025. Countries like Burundi, Sierra Leone, and Mozambique boast the highest median download speed at around or above 75 Mbps.
Starlink’s median download speed across select African countries, provided by Ookla
Regulatory Challenges
The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia (CRAN) released a public statement this week detailing the reasons for declining Starlink’s operating license. Namibia requires that telecommunications companies operating in the country have 51% local local ownership. Whereas Starlink is wholly foreign-owned, violating this criterion.
Starlink also has a poor compliance history with Namibian law. In 2024, CRAN issued a cease-and-desist order against the internet service provider for operating without a license in the country.
“Starlink’s contravention of the Communications Act and failure to respond to the Authority’s summons shows a total disregard for the governance framework of the sector and raised doubt on Starlink’s ability to honour license conditions in future,” the report read.
In neighbouring country South Africa, Starlink also failed to secure an operating license. South Africa has strict regulations that mandate that telecommunications companies provide 30% equity to historically marginalised groups. This is an effort to correct the longstanding economic inequality from Apartheid.
But the South-African-born billionaire has refused to relinquish ownership over Starlink, calling the black economic empowerment program “openly racist.”
Related post: Elon Musk Says Twitter Logo to be Rebranded to “X”
If Starlink wishes to operate across the African continent, it will need to reconcile its global ambitions with local regulatory frameworks. The digital divide is real. But so is the sovereignty of African nations to determine who operates within their borders.
Join the UrbanGeekz community for the latest in tech, innovation, entrepreneurship, culture, and opportunities. Subscribe here.
