Elon Musk, the South Africa-born billionaire and CEO of SpaceX, has accused his birth country’s government of denying Starlink an operating licence because he is not Black.
In a series of posts on his X handle on Sunday, Musk referenced ongoing regulatory hurdles tied to South Africa’s Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment policies. He claimed the post-apartheid rules require telecommunications licensees to have at least 30 percent ownership by historically disadvantaged groups, primarily Black South Africans, women, and people with disabilities.
“South Africa won’t allow Starlink to be licensed, even though I was born there, simply because I am not black!” Musk wrote.
“We were offered many times the opportunity to bribe our way to a license by pretending that a black guy runs Starlink SA, but I have refused to do so on principle.”
He added: “Racism should not be rewarded no matter to which race it is applied. Shame on the racist politicians in South Africa. They should be shown no respect whatsoever anywhere in the world and shunned for being unashamedly racists!”
The dispute centres on licensing requirements enforced by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa. Starlink has not formally received a licence and has argued that current telecom regulations do not fully recognise Equity Equivalent Investment Programmes, which allow companies to invest in skills development and infrastructure instead of direct ownership transfers.
South African officials have repeatedly dismissed claims of racism. In March 2025, South Africa’s Head of Public Diplomacy, Clayson Monyela, responded to Musk’s initial allegations, saying, “Sir, that’s not true and you know it! It’s got nothing to do with your skin colour. Starlink is welcome to operate in South Africa provided there’s compliance with local laws. There are over 600 USA companies investing and operating in South Africa, all complying and thriving.”
Replying again via X on Sunday, Monyela posted a comical video and wrote: “@elonmusk watching the more than 600 USA companies investing more in South Africa, complying with South African laws and thriving. Zero drama!”
