On September 24, 2024, X CEO Elon Musk held meetings with the leaders of South Africa and Lesotho to discuss potential business opportunities in their respective countries.
During the UN General Assembly, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa met with Musk to explore possible investments in the country. No additional information was provided about the private meeting.
Ramaphosa was heading the South African delegation to the 79th Session of the United Nations General Debate and High-Level Week in New York, which took place from September 21 to 24, 2024.
According to local media source, the meeting took place as Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet company, is in discussions with the South African government to bring its service to the country.
Ramaphosa and his delegation are focused on drawing investors to South Africa, which is the continent's most developed industrial economy. On September 23, 2024, Ramaphosa spoke to a group of business-people from the US and South Africa and toured the New York Stock Exchange.
Born in Pretoria, South Africa, Elon Musk is reportedly leading a R2-trillion (South African rand) investment drive in the US. As reported by SABC on September 24, 2024, the president later characterized his meeting with Musk as a positive experience.
In a separate meeting, Lesotho's Prime Minister Sam Matakane met with Elon Musk to discuss enhancing connectivity in the Southern African nation. Matakane expressed a commitment to finding innovative solutions to improve internet access and reduce the digital divide for the people, indicating that exciting developments are on the horizon.
Elon Musk’s Starlink availability date in South Africa allegedly showed ‘unknown’
While Starlink has been operational in Botswana, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Zambia, South Africans have anticipated its launch since 2021. The online coverage map indicates the availability date in South Africa is reportedly unknown as of now.
BusinessDay reported on September 16, 2024 that the president mentioned he had conversations with Elon Musk, encouraging him to invest in South Africa due to his success and investments in various countries. With regard to how the country can move forward, Ramaphosa said:
“We have been a good market for investments, to a number of US companies and over time I mean some of them may well have had their doubts about the trajectory that we were pursuing but today with my very first visit here we are saying South Africa has embarked on a new journey.”
He continued:
“It’s almost like a new life. Some of the US business were describing the path that we are on now that this is a new chapter.”
In a recent interview with ITWeb TV on September 6, 2024, Mothibi Ramusi, chairman of the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA), stated that the regulator had not yet received a formal application from Starlink to operate its services in the country.
He emphasized that when licenses are issued, they come with specific conditions, including a 30% BEE requirement related to black empowerment, which is a policy in South Africa. Additionally, Elon Musk mentioned on X that Starlink was currently awaiting regulatory approval in South Africa.
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