Starlink and Vodacom just inked a deal to revolutionise internet in Africa

Updated Nov. 13, 2025, 5:54 a.m. | By Skyye Ndlovu

Vodacom partners with Elon Musk’s Starlink to deliver satellite internet across Africa, but South Africa is still left out. Here’s why...

Vodacom Starlink — Vodacom x Starlink / AdrianHancu / iStock

Vodacom just announced a massive partnership with Elon Musk’s Starlink to bring blazing-fast satellite internet across 25 African countries.

It’s big, it’s bold, it’s futuristic… and sadly, South Africa isn’t on the list (yet).

So… why is half the continent getting intergalactic internet while we’re still buffering?

Well, let’s unpack this.

ALSO READ: Vodacom, Makate reach out of court settlement in 'Please Call Me' dispute

What’s the deal with this partnership?

Vodacom Group Ltd. just teamed up with Elon Musk’s Starlink to supercharge internet access across Africa.

Through this deal, Vodacom will integrate Starlink’s low-Earth orbit satellite network into its infrastructure.

This will give rural areas rocket-speed internet without needing towers, cables, or fancy fibre lines.

Think about it: schools in remote villages, clinics in rural towns, and small businesses miles away from the nearest city all getting high-speed, low-latency connectivity.

Even better, Vodacom becomes an official reseller of Starlink services to businesses, meaning they can offer “unbreakable internet” (their words, not ours) as backup or primary connectivity.

Vodacom CEO Shameel Joosub says the deal is part of their Vision 2030 plan to “connect every African to the internet,” and honestly, it’s about time someone took that mission seriously.

Why is South Africa excluded from Starlink?

Here’s where things get complicated.

While Starlink operates in around 25 African countries, South Africa is benched due to regulatory red tape.

Our laws currently require 30% local ownership (under BEE rules) for telecom licence holders.

Starlink doesn’t have that, and Elon Musk famously called these requirements “racist ownership laws.” (Yes, he actually said that.)

On the other side, South Africa’s communications regulator, ICASA, insists that Starlink hasn’t even applied for a local licence yet.

So technically, it’s not banned… but it’s not allowed either.

Will Starlink ever come to South Africa?

There is a glimmer of hope though. Communications Minister Solly Malatsi recently confirmed that government is reviewing thousands of public submissions to tweak these laws.

The proposed fix is to let companies like Starlink comply through social investment programmesinstead of handing over equity.

Basically: instead of giving away ownership, they’d give back to communities.

If that change goes through, South Africa could finally get a front-row seat to the satellite show.

ALSO READ: South Africa’s digital driver’s licences will soon become a reality

Why is this partnership a game-changer?

This isn’t just a cool tech headline. It’s a major leap toward closing Africa’s digital divide.

Areas too remote for fibre or towers will finally be connected.

Companies can now have backup internet that doesn’t crash when cables do.

Reliable connectivity will mean more access to education, healthcare, fintech, and digital trade.

Vodacom’s move also keeps it ahead in the race against other competitors who might follow suit soon.

Oh, and “internet from space” just sounds awesome.

What does this mean for South Africans?

While we can’t order our Starlink routers through Vodacom yet, this partnership does put pressure on local regulators to move faster.

It also proves that Vodacom isn’t just talking about innovation, they’re actually building it.

So when South Africa finally gets the green light, the infrastructure, partnerships, and systems will already be in place.

Until then, we’ll just have to sit here with our fibre, LTE, and load-shedding-friendly data bundles and dream of the day we can stream Netflix via satellite.

ALSO READ: South Africa wakes up earlier than anyone else in the world!