{"id":53734,"date":"2026-03-24T05:45:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T05:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/?p=53734"},"modified":"2026-03-24T05:45:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T05:45:11","slug":"279362","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/2026\/03\/24\/279362\/","title":{"rendered":"Namibia rejects Starlink"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-276733 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Namibia-rejects-Starlink.jpg?resize=640%2C341&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Namibia rejects Starlink\" width=\"640\" height=\"341\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Namibia-rejects-Starlink.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/techcentral.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/starlink-terminal-1500-800-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/techcentral.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/starlink-terminal-1500-800-1024x546.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/techcentral.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/starlink-terminal-1500-800-768x410.jpg 768w, https:\/\/techcentral.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/starlink-terminal-1500-800-150x80.jpg 150w, https:\/\/techcentral.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/starlink-terminal-1500-800-450x240.jpg 450w, https:\/\/techcentral.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/starlink-terminal-1500-800-1200x640.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\"\/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Namibia has turned<\/strong> down applications from Elon Musk\u2019s satellite internet provider Starlink for a telecommunications service licence and access to radio spectrum, a notice in the Southern African country\u2019s government gazette showed.<\/p>\n<p>The notice, dated 23 March, did not say why Starlink\u2019s applications were declined.<\/p>\n<p>The Communications Regulatory Authority of Namibia could reconsider the decisions \u201con its own motion or on a petition filed by an aggrieved party\u201d within 90 days, the notice added.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"modern-quote pull alignright\">Starlink operates in several African countries but has faced regulatory challenges in others<\/aside>\n<p>A spokesman for the regulator said a statement would be issued later.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX, parent company of Starlink, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<p>Starlink operates in several African countries but has faced regulatory challenges in others and resistance from state telecommunications monopolies.<\/p>\n<p>In November 2024, the Namibian regulator hit Starlink with a cease-and-desist order, saying it had been operating in the country without a licence.<\/p>\n<h2>South Africa<\/h2>\n<p>It also warned consumers against purchasing Starlink equipment and said it had confiscated illegal terminals from consumers. SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment at the time.<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Starlink\u2019s path to an operating licence in South Africa has been mired in regulatory and political gridlock for years, making the country one of the most prominent holdouts on the continent.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: right;\">Read: Starlink expands public advocacy campaign as it pushes for SA licence<\/h3>\n<p>The core obstacle is communications regulator Icasa\u2019s requirement that telecoms licensees sell 30% of their equity to historically disadvantaged South Africans.<\/p>\n<p>SpaceX, which maintains a global policy against local equity dilution, has refused to comply, arguing the rule effectively bars it from the market. The company has instead pushed for equity equivalent investment programmes, or EEIPs \u2014 a mechanism already used in other sectors of the economy \u2014 that would allow it to meet empowerment obligations through direct investment rather than shareholding.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_258959\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-258959\" style=\"width: 1500px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-258959\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765369914_219_SpaceX-may-look-to-raise-25-billion-in-blockbuster-2026-IPO.jpg?resize=640%2C341&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Elon Musk. Benoit Tessier\/Reuters\" width=\"640\" height=\"341\" srcset=\"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1765369914_219_SpaceX-may-look-to-raise-25-billion-in-blockbuster-2026-IPO.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/techcentral.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/re-elon-musk-1500-800-300x160.jpg 300w, https:\/\/techcentral.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/re-elon-musk-1500-800-1024x546.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/techcentral.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/re-elon-musk-1500-800-768x410.jpg 768w, https:\/\/techcentral.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/re-elon-musk-1500-800-150x80.jpg 150w, https:\/\/techcentral.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/re-elon-musk-1500-800-450x240.jpg 450w, https:\/\/techcentral.co.za\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/re-elon-musk-1500-800-1200x640.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\"\/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-258959\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Elon Musk. Benoit Tessier\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Communications minister Solly Malatsi issued a policy directive to Icasa in late 2025 instructing the regulator to explore the EEIP route, but the move drew sharp criticism from ANC MPs, who accused Malatsi of trying to fast-track Starlink\u2019s entry. Malatsi denied favouring the company, insisting the directive was not designed to benefit any single entity.<\/p>\n<p>Icasa has acknowledged the directive but said it will follow its own regulatory processes \u2014 a timeline that ICT lawyer Dominic Cull has warned could stretch to two years or more. SpaceX has yet to formally apply for a licence.<\/p>\n<p>In the meantime, Icasa has cracked down on South Africans using Starlink via grey-market imports and international roaming, deploying inspection teams and warning consumers against purchasing unauthorised equipment.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"modern-quote pull alignright\">The company\u2019s aggressive campaign has done little to shift the regulatory impasse<\/aside>\n<p>SpaceX has escalated its public lobbying, launching an advocacy website, pledging R500-million to connect 5\u00a0000 rural schools and urging South Africans to write to Icasa in support of regulatory reform.<\/p>\n<p>But the company\u2019s aggressive campaign has done little to shift the regulatory impasse \u2014 and rivals willing to comply with the equity rules, including Amazon\u2019s Project Kuiper, may reach the market first.\u00a0 \u2014 <em>Nyasha Nyaungwa, (c) 2026 Reuters, with additional reporting by Duncan McLeod, (c) 2026 NewsCentral Media<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"mt24\">\n<div data-qa-component=\"story-content-collapsable\">\n<div class=\"mh-auto overflow-hidden mh-none--print\" data-qa-component=\"collapsable-content\">\n<div class=\"font-knowledge regular line-height-1-5 color-black f6 pt16 pb20 border-bottom border-gray-22 story-copy\" dir=\"auto\" data-qa-component=\"item-story\" data-rc-highlight=\"story\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><b><i>Get breaking news from TechCentral on WhatsApp.\u00a0<\/i><\/b><span class=\"s2\"><b><i>Sign up here<\/i><\/b><\/span><b><i>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n#Namibia #rejects #Starlink<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Namibia has turned down applications from Elon Musk\u2019s satellite internet provider Starlink for a telecommunications service licence and access to&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":53735,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mzansi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53734"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":53736,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53734\/revisions\/53736"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}