This standoff has been building for a while. Through 2025, there were attempts to find middle ground, including proposals to allow investment-based alternatives to ownership rules. Solly Malatsi even pushed for regulatory changes, but the process is slow and still ongoing. With telecom giants like MTN and Vodacom raising concerns, and political groups threatening legal action, this is far from over. What happens next won’t just affect Starlink, it’ll shape how global tech companies navigate Africa’s biggest markets.
