South Africa’s delegation to the US will do what is best for the country regarding the licensing of Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service in South Africa.
So said president Cyril Ramaphosa, speaking to the media ahead of today’s high-level meeting with US president Donald Trump at the White House in Washington DC.
According to SANews, Ramaphosa struck a confident and hopeful tone, framing the visit as an opportunity to deepen economic co-operation and advance SA’s interests in a shifting global landscape.
The South African delegation − comprising Ramaphosa; Ronald Lamola, minister of international relations and cooperation; Khumbudzo Ntshavheni, minister in the Presidency; Parks Tau, minister of trade, industry and competition; John Steenhuisen, minister of agriculture; and Mcebisi Jonas, special envoy to the US − arrived in the US on Monday.
The work visit comes as South Africa negotiates frosty relations with the US, its second biggest trading partner.
This, after Trump earlier this year halted US funding to SA, alleging: “South Africa is confiscating land, and treating certain classes of people very badly.”
The issuing of an operating licence to Starlink is another contentious issue between SA and the US.
South African-born Musk, who forms part of Trump’s inner circle, has often criticised SA’s black economic empowerment (BEE) policies, claiming they were racially discriminatory after regulatory hurdles linked to BEE compliance affected Starlink's licensing in the country.
Taking to his social media platform X, formerly Twitter, Musk, who is the world's richest man, last week said: “South Africa has now passed 142 laws forcing discrimination against anyone who is not black. Even though I was born in South Africa, the government will not grant @Starlink a licence to operate simply because I am not black.”
Under South African legislation, companies providing telecom services must hold ECNS and ECS licences, which require at least 30% ownership by historically disadvantaged South Africans.
SpaceX, which operates Starlink globally, has not complied with this requirement.
Sovereignty at stake
Asked about the inclusion of tech-related matters such as Musk’s Starlink internet service in the bilateral talks, Ramaphosa was clear in that the delegation will do what is best for South Africa.
“Well, we are a sovereign country, and we are a very proud nation, and we [will] preserve our sovereignty. We will always do what is best for South Africans,” he said.
Citing unnamed sources, Bloomberg yesterday reported that the South African government plans to offer Musk a workaround of local black-ownership laws for his Starlink internet service to operate in the country, aiming to ease tensions with both the billionaire and Trump.
“The deal is that all races should be treated equally and there should be no preference,” said Musk when asked about the matter in an interview at the Bloomberg Economic Forum on Tuesday.
Commenting on the “deal” on her LinkedIn profile, Seipati Mokhuoa, founder and executive chairperson of Strategic African Women in Leadership, says: “Those in favour will praise Ramaphosa for his measured diplomacy and ability to keep global investors at the table. They’ll call it a strategic win. Rural areas finally getting access. South Africa remaining investable. A president who knows when to negotiate instead of confront.
“But those on the other side? They’ll likely see it as the beginning of a dangerous precedent. A soft betrayal. Proof that transformation is up for negotiation when billionaires come knocking. They’ll question whether our laws are only rigid when it’s small black businesses applying, and flexible when it’s Silicon Valley or foreign powers involved.”
Opposition party the Economic Freedom Fighters issued a statement condemning the reports that Ramaphosa is set to offer regulatory assurances to Musk’s Starlink ahead of his meeting with Trump this week.
“This move is not only unconstitutional, but it also exposes Ramaphosa as willing to compromise on our sovereignty to massage the inflated ego of Elon Musk and Donald Trump.
“We must remind the public and the Presidency that Cyril Ramaphosa has no executive authority to unilaterally guarantee access to South Africa's telecommunications sector, let alone bypass necessary black economic empowerment laws. Any such commitments fall squarely within the legislative domain of Parliament, not Luthuli House or the president's delegation. These powers are governed by national legislation and independent regulators, not the whims of one man desperate for foreign approval.
“We are not opposed to technology or global innovation, but we will not allow unregulated, foreign-controlled infrastructure to operate outside South Africa’s democratic and legislative framework. Starlink represents a threat to local industry and national security, as it is owned by an individual who has peddled lies about a genocide in South Africa in an attempt to leverage preferential and unregulated access to our market.
“One wonders why Elon Musk is so desperate to set up operations in a country involved in a genocide, as any genuine humanitarian would recognise genocide as a disincentive for investment. We will oppose this Starlink deal in Parliament, in the courts, and in the streets if necessary. Our sovereignty is not for sale to billionaires, nor can it be bought with handshakes in backrooms.”
Trade union Solidarity today called on the South African government – and specifically president Ramaphosa – to do everything possible to restore diplomatic relations with the US.
According to Solidarity, government must implement the necessary policy changes to make the country more investment-friendly and in the process restore diplomatic relations with America.
Among other issues, it urges government to begin phasing out racial laws. "This includes exempting international companies from these racial laws. Racial laws limit economic growth and job creation,” says Solidarity.
Positive position
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa has expressed optimism about his upcoming engagement with Trump, signalling SA’s firm intent to secure a mutually-beneficial trade deal and reinforce diplomatic ties between the two nations.
“We are always ready; we are hoping to have really good discussions with president Trump and his fellow government colleagues…we are looking forward to a really good and positive meeting.
“We’re looking forward to a very good outcome for our country, for our people, for the jobs in our country and good trade relations, and to normalise relations between our two countries,” the president explained.
While disinformation surrounding claims of “genocide” in SA has drawn significant attention, Ramaphosa emphasised that trade and investment promotion will remain the central focus of discussions.
He also emphasised the importance of securing a robust trade agreement that supports economic growth, fosters job creation and strengthens investment flows.
“The trade relations are the most important, that's what has brought us here. We want to come out of the United States with a really good trade deal and investment promotion.
“We invest in the United States, and they invest in us, and we want to strengthen those relations. We want to consolidate good relations between our two countries. So, I'm very positive. I'm looking forward to the discussions,” the president said.
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